A Tale of Blood and Ire
by earthlyXangel
Summary: For years, the Kuran family has sat upon the throne of the Nine Kingdoms. The arrival of Princess Yuki's cousin Kaname is the start of a series of events which will tear her world apart. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of not only the princess, but all the Kingdoms, hangs perilously in the balance. [Zeki/Aidori].
1. 1 PROLOGUE

A/N: Here it is, a VK fic based in the world of GOT. This fic will be a weekly release (released on Mondays) so there will be no waiting months and months for new chapters. This is the prologue and, true to GOT, kind of sets the stage for the story. Each chapter will feature the perspective of a different character, the same as GOT.

WINTER IS COMING.

* * *

PROLOGUE

The wind whistled hollowly through the trees, whipping cold lashes against the raw faces of the three men who fought against the tide of its force. They struggled to reach the distant town that glowed dimly against the backdrop of stormy, wintry grey. Above, the moon gave them a chill smile, offering only the barest of light to guide their path. The horse that pulled the old wagon rolled its eyes with fatigue, its heavy footsteps crunching against the snowy ground like the grinding of bones.

"Damn the winter," Yato, the largest of the three men, cursed, slapping the reins against the mare's back vigorously to urge her onward.

"Damn the north," his lanky companion Kyou muttered darkly from the wagon bed, shivering and drawing his cloak closer around him. Already the hem was fringed with frost.

"The Hios always provide the best quality men, you both know that," the last of the three men and their captain, Itouku, commented from the front seat.

"Yeah, but why do they always have to initiate the trades in _winter_?" Yato complained bitterly. "I'd much rather be sitting at home with a cup of mulled cider and my wife. Well, maybe in that case I don't even need the cup of mulled cider, because-"

"Shut up," Kyou snapped. "You're annoying."

"Look, I'm just saying. She's a fine woman, and-"

"And you're an imbecile. Just shut up and drive."

"Both of you be quiet," Itouku said suddenly in a hushed voice. The wagon had just passed the stone wall marking the boundary of the town and was arriving in the first ring of houses. His companions shot him questioning glances, to which he answered only with a murmur, "I don't hear any noise. Stop the wagon."

Yato jerked at the reins and the wagon jolted to a halt. Itouku gestured to Kyou, and the two of them climbed out cautiously. The captain put a hand on the hilt of his knife. He'd been in this trade for over a decade and had a sixth sense for danger. Right now he felt a chill creeping down his spine that didn't come from the cold. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for Kyou to follow.

Carefully, the pair skirted the first house. Itouku peered into the window. Inside, lanterns burned brightly and a fire lay dying in the hearth, but there was no movement or sound coming from within. His heartbeat resounded in his chest, and he forced himself to breathe. It was essential that he remain calm. In the utter silence, even a shift in breathing might give away his position if some danger lurked near.

He gestured for Kyou to move to the other side of the street. The younger man slid away lithely, a shadow over the snow. Itouku had brought him onto the team not too long ago, but he had never regretted the additional pocket to fill or mouth to feed. Kyou was an efficient, shrewd business man and a skilled fighter, and handsome to boot. His charm had certainly gained them better deals with some of the noble ladies. He allowed himself a tight smile. Yes, his choice of teammate had been quite profitable.

The two of them approached the next circle of houses. He glanced back to make sure Yato was still alright with the wagon and the horse, and was strangely relieved to see his potbellied partner resting with his feet propped up on the wagon seat, clearly at ease. He focused his attention to what lay before him.

Like an explosion in the stillness of the night, Kyou drew a sharp intake of breath from across the road. Itouku hurried over, knife already in hand, but the dark haired youth pointed in front of him, at the corner of the house. The captain turned his attention to the ground there, and instantly felt his pulse quicken.

A bloody hand was strewn across the snow.

The men pressed close against the house, peeking around the corner with care. The scene before them was one of a slaughter. Bodies were cast haphazard through the street like discarded dolls, their lifeless eyes gazing in all directions, all seeing, unforgiving, forms already partially buried in the falling snow. In the gutter the snow was clotted crimson with blood. There were mostly dead men here, but in the doorway of the house was a woman, and behind her, a child… Itouku shut his eyes quickly, taking a slow breath to keep from panic.

"What happened here?" Kyou whispered in his ear.

The captain shook his head. Obviously there had been a fight of some kind. Some of the men still clutched weapons in their frozen fingers. The woman in the door had a butcher's knife. Their deaths had not come without warning.

"Check the town for survivors. Whoever did this is probably gone, but take care," Itouku advised. "This is a bad omen..."

Who would massacre an entire village? The thought plagued him. There was no reason for this. This remote village hidden far back at the base of the mountains in the Hio lands had no friends, but neither did it have enemies. The people here were practically hermits, with no ties to speak of. So, what had happened?

Methodically, the men walked through each house, checking every corpse for some sign of life. At the end of their circuit they both entered together into one of the larger houses that ringed the main square. A woman's body littered the floor in the main room, stone cold. Beyond her, a crumpled form hinted at the corpse of yet another child.

Itouku passed a hand over his eyes. "This was a vile thing. Without honor."

Kyou gave a harsh laugh, "How can you speak the word honor? We have none."

"We have more than this." The captain cast him a hard glance, disliking the tone of his younger companion.

Dreading the task, he bent and rolled over the form of the final child. This one was a young boy of no more than 8 or 9, strong and fair featured with hair like the snow outside, like the hue of the corpses overflowing the streets. Itouku felt a wave of sorrow for the loss of so much life, particularly that of children such as this one. Mechanically, his fingers sought the pulse at the boy's neck. Another tally for the mass grave.

Blood drummed back against his fingers.

Startled, he checked again, then placed his hand over the boy's nose and mouth. The faintest whish of air brushed his skin. "This one's still alive!" he exclaimed.

"What? How?" his companion knelt and examined the youth as well, coming to the same conclusion.

"What to do with him is the real question… I suppose we could drop him off at the next town."

"Idiot, why would we do that?" Kyou demanded.

Itouku's gaze snapped to his partner's face, disgruntled and angered with the superior tone his subordinate was taking with him.

"You of all people should know exactly where we are," the younger man explained, as if to a child. "We're in the Kiryuu village. The blood of the people here carries strange power. Look, anyone will know him for a Kiryuu with his hair and complexion. Imagine the price we could ask for him back in Ashgate."

"He's just a boy…" Itouku said uncertainly.

"And we're just simple slavers. Look, a golden opportunity has fallen right into our laps. Literally, a golden opportunity. We'll be rich."

The captain paused to consider this. It was true, with this one young boy they could make a fortune by virtue of his heritage alone. He disliked enslaving children who hadn't reached puberty yet, but in this case, perhaps Kyou was right. He could make an exception when a hefty payload was involved.

"Alright," he acquiesced. "Get him up and bring him back to the wagon. I'll look around for more medical supplies. We'll want to keep him alive. Then, it's back to Ashgate. We don't need to do business with the Hios this year."

Kyou grinned slowly, teeth flashing in the lantern light. "We're going to be very rich men."

* * *

A/N: Curious as to what happens next? Subscribe! Comments, complaints, etc? Review! Nothing to say? Review anyway!


	2. 2 Yuki

**A/N:**

At last! The first installment of the new VK fic, inspired by Game of Thrones!

* * *

 **YUKI**

Yuki Kuran, age 18 and crown princess of the Nine Kingdoms, was completely unable to contain herself. She had spent the entire morning sprinting back and forth to the Venetian window which overlooked the central courtyard for a hint of _something_ , but instead all she had found was the usual bustle of servants and lazy meanderings of bored nobles. During the routine morning procedure of dressing and preening she had passed the minutes tapping her foot impatiently and shaking off the serving maid in order to check the window again, much to the poor girl's dismay and frustration. But no, nothing. Not the smallest sign of anything.

She heaved a tremendous sigh, plopping back into the chair at the tiny breakfast table beside her bed. She poked at her empty plate with her fork. The clock hands were inching past noon and onward towards lunchtime. She had expected their visitors to have arrived by now. Still, if she had learned anything in her years as princess, no one, especially no one noble, ever arrived on time.

Standing up suddenly and knocking over her chair, Yuki strode to the door and yanked it open. The guards on either side were slightly startled at her abrupt exit, but strove to hide it. She giggled to herself and attempted to regain some of what little poise she possessed by slowing her pace. It wouldn't do to be scolded by her adopted father later if she was seen walking in an undignified manner by the gossipy noble women that abounded the castle. At the moment, however, the wide, airy stone halls were fairly devoid of noble persons, for which she was grateful.

Her feet made a beeline for the training yard where she knew her two Bloodguards would be practicing at this hour. Most noble men with a Guard kept a respectable distance from their knights, but Yuki found that to be tiring. She preferred to spend as much time as possible with the two young men who at least were pleasant company, in contrast to most other nobles her age. Especially Ruka Souen. Yuki rolled her eyes. She understood that her adopted father wanted her to maintain a good relationship with the Souen kingdom, but Ruka was one of the most vain, shallow girls that she knew. Then again, most of the young ladies at the court were like her…

Finally arriving at the practice yard, which was little more than a glorified area of hard-packed dirt strewn with various training objects, Yuki immediately picked out the two members of her Guard sparring off to the right. She paused for a moment, watching them. They were really completely different, like day and night, but she cherished both of them as friends and easily entrusted them with her life. She could think of none better to fill the roles of her primary knights and guardians, and they were sworn to her service with the strongest bond possible, an unbreakable blood oath.

Her gaze darted to Hanabusa Aidou, the first member of her Guard. He had been sworn to her service since his 12th name day, as a pledge of loyalty from his father to hers. One day he would have to return to his homeland to rule in his father's stead, as the sole male heir to the title, but for now his duties were that of a knight. He was smaller than the other member of her Bloodguard, more slim and agile, with a slightly flashy fighting style that irritated the other endlessly. He was also the object of desire of half the girls in the court, since he had the misfortune of inheriting one of the most beautiful faces in the Nine Kingdoms, framed with perfect golden curls and punctuated with penetrating blue eyes. At least, Yuki thought it was a misfortune. Being handsome also made him extremely arrogant…and sometimes insufferable. She mentally stuck her tongue out at him and giggled to herself.

She continued to watch Hanabusa fight for a moment before turning her attention to her second knight, Zero Kiryuu. Yuki felt a warm surge of affection envelop her chest as she followed his movements. Zero had arrived later than Hanabusa, at the age of 15 after being a slave in the fighting pits in the city. He had achieved some fame as being particularly fierce despite his age, and when word had reached her adopted father of his lineage, King Kaien had immediately brought him into the castle, and subsequently, her Guard. In contrast to his comrade, Zero was tall and broad-shouldered, with great strength and a commanding presence. His silvery hair and violet eyes were marks of his Kiryuu blood, inheritors of a family which had become nothing more than history. Further demonstrating his prowess in combat were the six piercings, three on each ear, which marked his rank as a pit fighter. It was said that a man earned a piercing for every one hundred men that he killed. She shuddered to think of how Zero had obtained six. On his chest was the slave brand that further demonstrated his past as a fighter in the arena. And of course, on his neck, was the tattoo inked there as proof of his pledge to serve her...

Her gaze lingered on his form, watching the play of muscles beneath his nearly white skin. Even under the force of the sun's rays, for some reason he seemed incapable of gaining color. Her eyes ran over the lines of his chest and shoulders, traced with the fine lines of scars dating back to his time in the fighting pits, and stopped at the thick scar that marked his left arm. She felt a shiver despite the heat. He had told her the story before, and she could see him alive and whole in front of her, but fear welled up within her to think that a few inches more and the spear would have penetrated through his heart…

She gave herself a mental jolt. It wouldn't do to linger on such thoughts. Yuki seized a canteen of water and a few dry cloths sitting on the bench nearest her and strode over to the pair, smiling broadly when they took note of her and halted their training. Both greeted her with a slight bow, which she frowned at as always. Such formalities made her feel more distant from them.

"How's practice?" she asked casually, handing them each a cloth that they immediately used to wipe the sweat from their brows.

Zero merely shrugged in response, and Hanabusa replied sarcastically with, "Losing as always, thank you so much for asking."

Yuki giggled. "Maybe you should try winning?"

"Oh, haha, quite humorous." He shot her a rueful grin, then turned the full force of his glare on Zero. "Hey, Zero, maybe you should put on some clothes?" He pointed to discarded shirt on the ground. "You're in the presence of a lady."

Zero regarded him calmly and said nothing, but his eyes clearly stated that he wasn't going to move.

"We're knights, we have to uphold our reputation. In front of the princess you should at least show some respect." The silver-haired knight's lack of response was clearly irritating him. "It's improper!" he snapped.

Zero looked at her then, clearly asking if she cared, and to Hanabusa's horror she shook her head and said, "I don't mind. It's hot, anyway. Actually, I thought you looked tired." She offered the canteen to Zero, who took it with a small smile of thanks.

"Of course, condone and reward bad behavior." Hanabusa's mouth twisted downward with disapproval.

Yuki was saved from having to make a response as sudden trumpet calls cut through the open air, announcing the arrival of their visitor. She grinned, excitement blossoming in her chest. It wasn't often that they had important company such as this, or company that warranted a full-fledged feast and celebration.

"I guess this means we'll miss lunch." Hanabusa pouted, then stretched and hit the side of Zero's calf with his wooden practice sword. "Alright, come on, we've got to make you look respectable…and yes, this includes a shirt."

Zero deigned not to respond to this, but picked up his things and followed the blond knight out of the practice yard, leaving Yuki with a simple "See you soon."

Fortunately for Yuki, she was already dressed and ready for the arrival procession. She exited the yard as well and headed for the main entrance, where she knew many of the nobles would have gathered, as well as her adopted father. On her way, many servants scurried by, clearly hurrying with last minute preparations. She smiled. It was good to see a dose of liveliness in the castle.

As she approached the entrance, she found that a crowd had already gathered. She spotted Lady Ruka in the center of the human cluster beside her closest companion and childhood friend, Akatsuki Kain, who was both a knight and noble lord himself. Akatsuki was Hanabusa's cousin, but their shared blood was anything but evident in Akatsuki's looming build and fiery red hair. His people were of the Dawn Plains, a place ruled by the sword and by honor more than business or politics.

A voice interrupted her from her musings. "Yuki! Just in time! Though, if you'd been late, you would have still been on time, because a princess is never late." Yuki turned to see her adopted father, King Kaien, who winked at her cheerfully.

She gave the customary curtsey to the king to appease the nobility and then immediately asked, "How long until he arrives?"

"In a matter of minutes, I'd imagine." The king waved ambiguously in the air.

"Why is he coming, anyway?"

"Well, he's coming because he's not leaving, obviously," Kaien remarked with a straight face.

Yuki shook her head, ignoring the lame joke and trying not to roll her eyes in public. Behind her, she felt the familiar presences of her Bloodguard move in. The doors of the main entrance began to creak open with a rattle of chains, opening the hall to the outside world.

"Let's greet your cousin, shall we?" Kaien motioned for Yuki to move to the front of the assembly.

By the time Yuki had settled in between her father and, most unfortunately, the Lady Ruka, the procession had already nearly reached the Great Hall in which they now stood. The parade stretched for what seemed an eternity beyond the primary figures; an excess of courtesans, carriages, and soldiers that seemed disproportionate even for a high noble. She could not see the end of the human river, which wound through the gates of the outer wall and across the massive stone bridge which connected the castle grounds to the city below.

Her cousin Kaname, ruler of the Kuran realm Soshiyu to the northwest of Ashgate, led the procession. It had been nearly a decade since they'd last seen each other, and that had been when Kaname had inherited his realm once he had reached legal ruling age at 18. He hadn't changed much in the last 10 years. He was still regal as ever, with a composed, unreadable face and shadowed eyes. To his left rode his main guard, the severe-appearing woman trained in the black arts called Seiren. To his right, however, was someone that she hadn't seen before but recognized from his yellow banner imprinted with a single grey tower. This would be Takuma Ichijou, heir of the most influential minor noble house in the Kuran realm. The Ichijou family had always shared an intimate friendship with the Kurans, so it came as no surprise that their heir would make an appearance alongside Kaname. It would also explain the grandiose procession that trailed behind them, as the Ichijous would have been sure to send their own part of the entourage.

As the nobles and their guardsmen dismounted, Ruka seized her arm with surprising force, eyes sparkling in a way that Yuki hadn't seen before. "You never told me how… How… He's beautiful," she whispered, eyes locked on the princess's cousin, cheeks flushing.

Yuki stared at the noble for a moment in slight disbelief, then merely stated, "He's unwed." She didn't really know what else to say. Ruka sucked in a sharp breath. For once, it seemed Yuki had said the right thing.

Kaien gave her the signal, and both she and her father stepped forward to receive Kaname and Takuma into their household. Yuki hoped that their stay together would at the very least be an entertaining diversion from the normal boredom.

Her mouth opened to form the expected words, "Welcome to our home, cousin."

* * *

 **A/N:** So short. So meh. I have to say...they tell me first is the worst and this chapter definitely isssss... I hate beginnings... -grumbles- Second chapter is a lot better, promise!

Don't forget, this fic is **UPDATED WEEKLY**. Meaning, every Wednesday, you'll have a new chapter. When I go back to Spain again in September, you may even have them really late Tuesday nights as I'll be 6 hours ahead.

Finally, as those of you who read My Scarlet Letters know, I'm all for gradual development of both the plot and the characters, so if you don't see your favorite character in this chapter, don't worry, all of the VK cast will make an appearance. I don't like giving away spoilers but I feel in this case it might be necessary. If you are a fan of Yori or Shima, both appear just a little bit later in the fic so be patient! Don't worry though, Yori in particular is one of the main characters ;).

That's all for now so tune in next week folks!


	3. 3 Zero

**A/N:**

Hey guys! I'm going to DC tomorrow, so I thought I'd upload the chapter today rather than potentially really late tomorrow. SOOOO~ Woo! Here we go, chapter 2! And as some little extras this week, my friend Sophie who runs an A-MAZ-ING VK blog/tumblr has created the house banners for all of the major noble families of the FF and also a map of the Nine Kingdoms.

Since I can't post the links directly on FF, check them out on ImaginaryLights page on Tumblr and paste this after the initial page link for the banners:

post/147285980801/a-tale-of-blood-and-ire-house-banners

and this after the initial page link for the map:

/post/147305441834/a-tale-of-blood-and-ire-world-map-click-to-view

* * *

 **ZERO**

She took his breath away. Her eyes, sparkling with happiness in the lantern light, the melody of her laugh, the rise and fall of her voice as she spoke, the flush of excitement in her cheeks, everything… He was mesmerized by her, his eyes drawn to her form by a force that seemed to him greater than gravity. Yuki was his sun, his center, and her brilliance shined light on the battered shadows that were his existence.

Tonight, she appeared even more beautiful than normal, although perhaps it was because she also seemed far more distant, seated at the royal table. Her maids had dressed her in a silken gown of rich violet that rippled as if every fold was a stream of twilit water, its color embroidered with tiny indigo rosebuds that called the attention back to her face. He shut his eyes. He shouldn't look, he wasn't deserving to even look at her from afar. But even in the black behind his eyelids, her image was burned into his retinas. No, he knew in truth, it was burned into his heart. There was no removing her.

Even if he had no right to feel this way…

He forced himself to look at the highborn that surrounded her at the long table of aged cherry wood, laden with a rich assortment food and drink, that was reserved for the higher nobility. Her father the king at the table's head, the guests Kaname Kuran and Takuma Ichijou, Ruka Souen, Akatsuki Kain, even Hanabusa was seated there. But he could never have a place at that table, nor she at his, for he was nothing where she was everything, he was a zero like his namesake, devoid of significance, and she…she was the infinity… She gave meaning to his worthless existence.

Many times he had thought this, remembered his life before her. Without Yuki in his life there would be no light, no sound, but only the never ending nightmare of blood and screams in the stifling darkness. Kaien might have been the one to give the order and remove him from that world, but it had been his daughter who had truly brought him back from the brink of madness, from losing himself to the dark. Her warmth and her kindness, they were like a plank he had held on to so that he wouldn't drown.

A rustle of movement caught his eye, and he turned to see Yuki and Kaname rise. The lord gestured to her, going to her side of the table to take her arm, and the two of them headed towards the large wooden doors, thrown wide open now for the feast, that led out to the perfumed palace gardens. Hanabusa caught his eye, jerking his head towards the pair, clearly indicating that he was incapable of guarding the princess in this moment, and Zero rose to follow, as did Kaname's own guard, Seiren, from the other side of the hall.

Like shadows, silent and unseen, the two guards slipped out into the fragrant evening air. The noble pair was conversing in low tones, walking slowly through the path of crushed white stone towards the single marble fountain that had been carved into the shape of a swan taking flight that resided in the center of the garden. The night itself was peaceful, lit by the pale half-circle of the moon, but Zero felt a shiver where its light touched his skin. There was something in this night, and in the attitude of Yuki's mysterious cousin, that congealed thick and heavy within his stomach, something that whispered a kind of unease through his ears.

"Why did you come to visit us, after all this time?" he heard Yuki ask.

Kaname turned his face towards the princess, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "It is exactly as you say, Yuki, it's been too long. It is always good to see one's family again, especially the few one has left…"

Zero looked at Yuki carefully, watching her for any signs of sadness. Discussing her parents was always a sensitive topic, despite the fact that she could scarcely remember them. As such, the King Kaien was technically her uncle and the youngest of the three Kuran sons, though Yuki had always referred to him instead as her adoptive father because she said it made her feel closer to him. Zero suspected she secretly wanted to call him 'father' but worried that she might be breaching some code of etiquette. As for Kaname's father, Rido, he had murdered Yuki's parents in cold blood and been banished from the capital.

"Is it true, then?" He heard sympathy in the princess' voice. "That your father…"

"That he disowned me?" Kaname shrugged. "That was a chapter of my life that closed many, many years ago, Yuki. I have not looked back upon it since."

There was a moment of silence between them, and then Yuki changed the topic, perhaps feeling guilty for discussing something potentially painful for her cousin. "The gardens here are truly beautiful. My adopted father has always loved them. We used to take walks here together quite often."

"What is beautiful is not the garden, but the beautiful you who treasures it," Kaname murmured, his eyes like liquid obsidian, reflecting the sparks of the torchlight in the dusk. Something sinister stirred there in those depths, a dragon rousing from its slumber that alerted Zero to some hint of danger.

In Zero's own chest roused something far different, however. Another fracture line cracked through his heart, and he squeezed his fist to hide the sudden pain Kaname's words caused him. He'd known one day such a thing would happen, known he'd one day have to watch as she swore to love another man for eternity, known the love he felt for her was, like him, without meaning, yet still…still it was painful. His throat tightened. He had hoped to never see this day. The sweet words that brought a flush to Yuki's cheeks tore out his insides.

Yuki turned away to the roses that bloomed to her right along the path, fingering the ones that lay at her collar as well, face red and struggling to regain her composure. Zero could see that she was both surprised and confused by Kaname's sudden words, and also flattered by them.

"Have I offended you?" Kaname asked, anxious. "I'm sorry if I have-"

"No, no," Yuki said hurriedly, turning back to him and smiling with a shade of uncertainty. "It's just… I'm very…. Thank you," she finished in a daze.

Kaname relaxed now. "I see I've surprised you. However, it should come as no—"

The clack of heels along the path cut through his words like the blade of a knife. All four present in the garden turned at the same time to see the Lady Ruka heading toward them, cheeks pink and clearly affected by her wine intake. When she'd seen that she'd caught Kaname's attention, she gave an uncharacteristically clumsy curtsey, clearly beside herself with a mere moment of eye contact between them.

"The Lady Ruka," Yuki explained in an undertone to her cousin, who nodded and with sharp, calculating eyes seemed to understand the situation immediately.

"My Lord Kaname, Your Highness, the king has ended the feast. There's to be dancing…" Ruka glanced demurely at the Kuran noble.

"Ah, lovely." Kaname offered his arm again to Yuki, clearly intending to escort her back into the Banquet Hall and win the favor of a dance, despite Ruka's obvious disappointment.

"Actually, I must excuse myself. I haven't been feeling well today, and I don't think I can manage dancing at the moment…" Yuki smiled apologetically. "I'm very sorry. If you'll excuse me..?"

"Yes, I hope you recover quickly, then. Ruka, if you'd do me the honor?"

Kaname was nothing if not elegant and tactful, Zero noted. A politician at heart, it seemed. The Kuran and Souen nobles entered the banquet hall once more, followed by their guardian shadow, and Zero stepped closer to Yuki, who was staring absently at the flowers, clearly lost in thought. Feeling ill had only been an excuse to gain her some time to herself. Zero waited.

At last, as he'd known she would, she turned to him, expression solemn, "What do you think of him, Zero?"

He bit back a harsh laugh. How many times would their simple words burn through him like acid? She didn't know how she hurt him with this question, how he could feel her slipping further away from him with every passing second. He didn't want this yet. He only wanted her for a little while longer. Another month, another week, even a day more would have been better than this happening now, and he rendered helpless before it.

Not wanting to convey the slough of dark emotions running through him, and knowing that he of all people was the least fit to reply to such a question, he instead told her, "It's not my place to offer you counsel, Princess…"

The petite girl frowned at him then, expression already set to argue. He could tell from the set of her shoulders and chin that she wasn't prepared to let her question go. Beyond that, however, there was something forlorn, almost lost in her gaze…something that squeezed painfully, deep within his chest.

He sighed, already defeated before she even spoke. He could never refuse her anything, even if he wasn't sure what he should say. Zero closed his eyes, gathering himself, and then answered carefully, "I'm not sure why, but I feel that we should be wary of his unexpected visit." Then, feeling as though he had no right to caution her against a marriage, he added, "However, the match would be a good one."

A cloud settled itself over Yuki's features as he spoke these words. There was an obscured, unspoken thing that crowded over her face, but she left it there as unvoiced words in the unassuming night, and instead said, "I'm returning to my chambers. Would you accompany me?"

Beneath the almost phantasmal light of the moon, framed by shadowed scarlet roses and liquid eyes reflecting in golden flecks the bright lights of the lively banquet hall, Zero thought that Yuki seemed almost ethereal. She was already passing into another plane of existence, a being that he could never touch. Indeed, even as he nodded his consent and took her elbow to lead her back to her rooms, it seemed for a moment as though his fingers had passed through her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed! Tune in again next week and REVIEW! =3


	4. 4 Kaien

**A/N:** Hey it's time for another chapter! BTW I just wanted to say I know the chapters are kind of short at the moment and there's not been a lot of action so far but things are going to start happening so no worries. And, even better, the chapters will gradually start getting longer. So if you're unsatisfied by the short chapters, never fear, they will get a lot longer as we go! :)

* * *

 **KAIEN**

A knock on the doors of his chamber roused Kaien Kuran from the weight of his thoughts. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and waved for the guards to open the door. It had only been a matter of days since his nephew's arrival and in such a short time he had been confronted once again with issues that refused to stop plaguing him. There was much to think of and little time to resolve it in.

His gaze swept across the room, taking in the decorations. The tarnished gold hue of the plush carpet and velvet curtains reflected a light that gave the illusion that the entire chamber had been constructed of pure gold. Every inch of fabric, down to the cushions that lined the window seat which overlooked the castle gardens, was of the same metallic shade. Even in his personal space, everything which he possessed advertised his wealth. Such extravagance had not been engendered from nothing. It had been the support of the rest of the Kuran family, as well as their other allies, that had brought about the prosperity which he and Yuki now enjoyed. In order to maintain their position and hold on the crown it was essential that Yuki wed someone with power and strong political ties. Nevertheless, Kaien couldn't help but wish that she could follow her heart and find happiness. Even if that happiness had ultimately become a curse for her parents…

Despite the lean of his thoughts, he couldn't help but smile as his adorable daughter entered his outer chambers, her eyes as bright with happiness and energy as always. He prayed that she would never lose this expression. It pained him to think that she might have to make a difficult decision in the near future. She might not be his child by birth, but he considered her as if she were his true daughter.

Yuki gave him the customary curtsey and he motioned her over to the small table where the servants had laid out a delicious spread of tea and desserts for them to share. She settled herself in beside him while he waved off the maid who hovered over them, waiting for the exact moment to begin serving the tea. There were some things that he preferred to do himself, and serving his own tea was one of them.

"I trust you're well, my dear. Would you prefer the herbal tea or the mint?" he asked her with a wink, knowing full well which one she'd choose. His daughter hated herbal teas with a passion that rivaled his own hatred for mint. Rather than agree on a different tea, however, they had always shared their teatimes with both flavors present. It had become something of a ritual between them.

He flipped over her cup deftly from its position on its matching saucer, admiring the handiwork. The tea set had actually been a gift from the Souens, ages ago, made from the finest china. This particular set was decorated with an elaborate design that masterfully combined the royal crest and Souen emblem: a maze of thorns from which blossomed the golden lilies of the Souens. It had always been his favorite tea set. Yuki's mother, Juuri, had always been particularly fond of it as well.

"I'll have the mint," Yuki replied as always, selecting a pastry from the silver platter in the table's center. "I'm well, of course. Did you know Kaname sent me another present today?"

"Oh? What's this one?" He kept his face composed, but inwardly felt his heart fall. They were already on the topic which he had hoped to postpone for as long as possible. Nevertheless, it was the reason he had summoned her here, after all, and he would have only been able to postpone it for so long.

"This time it was a necklace. It's actually… My Lord-"

"Call me Father," he interrupted as he always did, shooting her a look of anguish.

His precious daughter rolled her eyes at him, and he felt sadness and affection come over him. He understood her sentiments well, but he wanted more than anything for her to properly call him Father.

"It's actually troubling," she finished, biting into the small strawberry cake she had selected.

Kaien held back a sigh. "Well, Yuki, that was the real reason I asked you to come here tonight."

A few days prior, Kaname had approached him with a proposition that Kaien had known would come even before his nephew had arrived, but one that still weighed heavily on his shoulders.

 _"I would ask for Princess Yuki's hand in marriage," Kaname said calmly, eyes fixed on his uncle's face from over the rim of his wine goblet._

 _When Kaien did not responded immediately, the younger Kuran continued, "It would be advantageous to both parties, I believe, as well as the most logical choice. Of course, there is the young Aidou as well, but I think you would be of my mind that a Kuran should remain seated on the throne, would you not? I swear to you that I shall care for your daughter well and that she shall not want for anything."_

 _"I do understand the benefits of this match, I assure you, but ultimately I would like the choice to be Yuki's," the king answered after a moment. "I know this is not the norm, but my daughter is my heart, the one thing I value most in this world, and for this reason I wish for her happiness above all else."_

 _"I understand your sentiments. Then, if your daughter favors this marriage…?"_

 _"Then I, too, shall approve of it."_

 _"May I have permission to court Princess Yuki formally, then?"_

 _"Yes, you have my consent…" He spoke the words though they burdened his heart. He knew Yuki was now of age to be wed, yet he was still unready to give her away. Moreover, there were many things that remained unsaid. He still had not revealed to her, nor to anyone, the true reason why he had brought the Kiryuu child into his home._

"Are you going to make him stop?" Yuki asked hopefully, breaking through the fog of his reminiscing.

"Yuki," Kaien addressed her seriously. "I think you're already aware of why Kaname is sending you these gifts."

His daughter's gaze dropped to her teacup and the sides of her mouth creased down. Her fingers moved idly to play with the ends of her hair and after a moment she gave a slight nod.

"The more important question is how you feel about it." He observed her carefully, though he was fairly certain she held no special affections for her cousin.

Yuki continued to stare at her cup for a moment before she looked at her father again. "I…I don't know." Doubt flickered across her features.

Kaien felt a bit of relief to see her obvious hesitancy. At least his daughter wasn't as frivolous as the Souen girl, apt to fall in love at the drop of a hat or the first gesture of kindness. He shrugged then, relaxing and sipping at his tea. "Well, there's no need to make the decision now. However, Yuki," his tone turned solemn once more, "it is true that there will be increasing pressure for you to choose a husband from now on. Kaname is the choice most people will expect, but your knight Hanabusa also has a strong claim and his father has discussed this topic with me before. Or," he became cheerful again, "you can just forget all this political nonsense and marry whoever you want. A minor noble. A servant. A cat. A Kiryuu." He dropped the last suggestion tactfully. The close friendship Yuki had developed with her knight hadn't slipped his notice.

Yuki looked startled at this suggestion and the king laughed. "The point is, Yuki, I want you to be happy. I know I shouldn't say this, because my responsibility should be to the kingdom, but I don't want you to suffer through a marriage that brings you no joy, because you are my most precious and only daughter. And," he quipped, "if you married a cat, it obviously can't rule so you'd be completely in charge."

Yuki giggled at this. "What if I prefer dogs?"

"That's fine. Whatever you want, dear."

"A mouse."

"As long as it doesn't bring its friends to eat our food stores."

She pressed her hand to her mouth, still giggling. Kaien was momentarily struck by how much she resembled her mother in this moment. Then, eyes twinkling, she told him sincerely, "Thank you."

"Would you like more tea?" he offered as she drained her cup, lifting the herbal teapot in jest. He frowned as the china shook in his hand, the lid rattling loudly as the pot hovered precariously in the air, tilting slightly to the right as he struggled to keep it level. Perhaps he should sleep more. The toll of the new stress that the situation with Kaname had put on him was manifesting itself physically.

Yuki sobered upon seeing this and gently took the teapot from his hand, setting it down with care on the yellow-laced tablecloth. "When it truly becomes summer, we should visit our summer house on the lake again. You could use a vacation. You never take time to relax," she chastised him.

"I would like that very much," he agreed. It had been far too long since he and Yuki had taken a break away from the pressures of courtly life.

"And tonight, you should at least go to bed early!"

"Alright, alright," he laughed easily, the lines crinkling around his eyes with paternal fondness.

Ah, how he loved this child. If only the two of them could remain in peace like this forever…

* * *

 **A/N:**

Review and tune in next Wednesday!

P.S. I had a lovely review asking me what my favorite books were that I couldn't respond to since it was submitted anonymously so I thought I'd respond this way: Hi~ Thank you so much for taking the time to review! Actually, to be quite honest... I don't know what my favorite books are! I love reading so it's hard to pick... In general though I'd have to say I prefer fantasy/science fiction...though I do read other things like mystery and action and comedy and even the occasional drama. I'm not too big into romance novels funny enough. But I don't know if I have any FAVORITE books. Sorry!


	5. 5 Hanabusa

**A/N:** Thank you guys for all the reviews! I try my best to respond to all of them, though sometimes my memory isn't that great. Even if I forgot to respond, THANK YOU! I really appreciate all the comments~!

* * *

 **HANABUSA**

"You realize what he's brought her here for, don't you?" Hanabusa glanced at his silver-haired companion, feeling irritated. Sometimes he really didn't understand Zero Kiryuu. No, wait, actually he never understood him.

"I'm aware of the situation," Zero answered in a tone devoid of all emotion.

"And?" the blond demanded, glaring.

"And what?"

Zero raised an eyebrow at him and finished tying off his horse, leaving it tethered with the others and left safely in the custody of the additional guards who had accompanied them. Yuki's _beloved_ cousin Kaname had decided to take his lady love out on a ride into the countryside, presumably to relax and chat. Hanabusa knew better. Everything this Kuran did was calculated. He probably drew his courtship ideas out of a hat, because the actions themselves didn't actually matter. What mattered was the message that they conveyed. None of his gifts came without reason, and this little stroll through the meadows didn't either. That being the case, it annoyed the hell out of him that Yuki was too naïve to fully understand the political game taking place here, and even more so that Zero did nothing about it.

Moreover, it was obvious as day to him that Zero had fallen hard for his princess, and although Hanabusa knew it wasn't really any of his business, it pissed him off to see his friend simply accept his position in the situation with his usual apathetic attitude.

"And what are you going to do about it?" the blond lord hissed as they started after the Kuran pair, who were walking ahead of them and out into the flower-dappled meadow.

The other knight gave him an unreadable look, then returned his attention to Yuki and her suitor. "You know that I can do nothing."

Hanabusa's eyes slashed across the space between them like a knife, seeming to flash blue lightning through the open air. Technically, Zero was right. It wasn't his place to do anything. He was a knight, Yuki was a princess, and there could be no future between them. Despite that, despite the fact that what Zero was doing was correct, the Aidou lord could feel infuriation boiling within him. Ever since they had met and begun training as knights together, Zero had never showed any emotion, had rarely smiled, had rarely spoken about himself. It was as if the person Zero Kiryuu didn't exist, as if he was something other than human, although Hanabusa knew to the contrary. Yuki and Yuki alone could surface the emotions that the silver knight kept buried deep within. It drove him insane. Zero was watching another man take away the woman he loved, and what did he do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Let me get this straight. You're going to spend the rest of your life loving her, and she'll never know, and before long she'll be married to another and you won't have done a thing to change the situation. Is that about it?" His tone was sarcastic, sharpened with a biting edge.

Zero didn't reply, though a shadow passed across his face like a fleeting thought. After a moment, he murmured, "Yes."

"You're an idiot… There are things you could do to improve your position, I don't know…" The blond knight sighed, at a loss. He shouldn't give Zero such a hard time, but it was difficult to watch this all unfold and be rendered helpless before it. Plus, he couldn't stand fake politicians like Kaname Kuran, and that made it worse.

"Look, you're not wrong here," Hanabusa said quietly. "But if it were me in your place I would do everything in my power to change the situation and take what I wanted. I wouldn't let her slip away from me without a fight."

The silence resounded between them, punctuated by the calls of the birds flying overhead and the soft sound of the conversation ahead of them. The wind swept through the tall grass, blowing pollen and dandelion seeds into the air in a whirlwind dance that created the illusion of snow. For a passing second, so swift that he couldn't be sure he had seen it at all, Hanabusa thought he could glimpse a hint of sorrow unmask itself across Zero's face. But as soon as he blinked, before him was only the knight made of stone, stern and frozen even in the warmth of the day.

"The throne doesn't seem like a particularly comfortable place to spend most of my days," the silver-haired Bloodguard commented dryly, and Hanabusa rolled his eyes.

"Fine, then," he huffed, focusing on the Kurans. "I wasn't being serious either."

Redirecting his attention to the Kurans, he attempted to distract himself from the sizzle of his own emotions by identifying the flowers Yuki passed. He preferred to ignore her cousin to the best of his ability. True, all nobles played the political chess game on a daily basis, but at the very least they mixed honesty in with the lies. There was some grain of truth even in the worst of their ploys. With Kaname, however… Hanabusa couldn't detect the barest trace of sincerity even in his most basic actions.

"I really didn't want to do this, but it seems I'll have to marry Yuki myself just to keep this loser from making her miserable for the rest of her life," he stated boldly, mouth twisting into a grimace. He joked, but if events continued in this direction he might have to force his claim after all. Although he didn't want to marry the woman his closest friend loved, anyone was better than Lord Lame over there.

Zero said nothing. Of course he said nothing, he never had anything to say because he had allowed himself to remain nothing. A zero sum of zero, when he at least could make an effort to show he cared. Poor Yuki probably had no idea how her knight felt. Hanabusa himself had taken forever to notice, with as closed off as Zero kept himself. It was only when the silver Bloodguard had tattooed a bloody rose over interlacing thorns on the side of his neck, a clever mix of both the royal and Kiryuu family crests, that the blond had realized it himself. Granted, the tattoo was extremely cool. Unfortunately for Zero, who strove to mask every drop of his emotions, it was also a dead giveaway of his feelings for Yuki. If Hanabusa had ever wondered about the level of their lady's intelligence, Yuki's failure to grasp the significance of that permanent emblem emblazoned there against Zero's skin for the world to see had answered the question. It was low.

Ahead of them on the path, the Kuran pair had come to a stop. Hanabusa exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair and coming to a stop at an appropriate distance to give them space and a fair amount of privacy. Everyone around him was a complete idiot. Perhaps he should be king after all. Heck, he could even order Yuki to divorce him and marry Zero. Wouldn't that be something.

Kaname had been talking about some inane triviality, but after halting their walk the high lord turned to Yuki, expression serious with the hint of a smile tracing the corners of his mouth. "I am truly grateful that we have been able to pass so much time together during my visit."

"And I, as well," Yuki responded, almost automatically. In so short a time, all of the excitement that she had felt for her cousin's visit had been beaten away into tatters. Her eyes fluttered to her cousin's face, away, then back again, like a butterfly trapped in a net.

"Are you displeased with my company?" Kaname's face became concerned on cue. Hanabusa grit his teeth to contain his irritation. Watching this was like reading the script of a play for the fifteenth time.

Yuki blinked in surprise and immediately countered this statement. She had already been drawn into the scene. "No, of course not!"

"That is well. It is rare that two people of our rank find enjoyment in one another's company. And, of course, it is rare to find company that possess the beauty and kindness that you do."

The princess flushed, clearly flustered, and opened her mouth to say something, but was abruptly cut off as her cousin took her hands in his and stared with empty meaning into her eyes. "My Lady, I'm sure the thought has already crossed your mind, but I cannot express enough how rare a gift it is to find someone whose company I both admire and take pleasure in. I see no reason to end this newfound joy. Princess, would you pledge your life to me, and I to you? I swear I shall bring you happiness for the rest of your life, and that you shall never want for anything. We could pass the rest of our days like this, in peaceful bliss."

The blond knight watched his lady carefully; his arms stiff and tense at his sides, struggling with the necessity of inaction. This courtship had unfolded very rapidly. His eyes narrowed, eyebrows drawing together, brooding. The haste with which Kaname had wooed his cousin was suspicious. Yuki, however, was too overwhelmed to consider this. She was clearly lost for words at the sudden proposal, although it couldn't have been entirely shocking to her. Kaname Kuran was being anything but subtle.

Hanabusa cast a secretive look towards the knight beside him, hoping to catch his friend off-guard. Surely, Zero would feel something after hearing this. Yet Zero remained impassive, a silver sentinel whose only suggestion of reaction was the tightening at the corner of his jaw. Nothing more. Hanabusa returned to the scene before him. So be it.

"You needn't answer me now, if you like," the dark-haired noble offered gracefully. "Take a few days to consider my offer. I'm sorry if I have seemed overly rushed in this matter. It is only that… I do not wish to return home without first knowing your feelings."

Yuki nodded then, straightening her shoulders and seeming to compose herself. Hanabusa inwardly nodded approval as she replied with tact, "Thank you, cousin. Please, grant me a few days to consider. I must consult with my Lord Father as well."

"Of course," Kaname agreed easily. "I'll be anticipating your response."

After that the Kurans' date fell steadily downhill. Kaname attempted to distract Yuki with small talk, trying to charm her with his endless artillery of useless and boring knowledge, and the two began the walk back to the stream where they had left the horses and the rest of their guard. The princess, however, wasn't engaged in their conversation. Hanabusa could see the wheels locking in her head, her chocolate eyes thick with preoccupation. Her responses were vague and uncommitted, and it was none too soon that they reached the stream again.

"I sincerely hope that Yuki is smart enough to consider all of her options, but somehow I don't think that's going to be the case," Hanabusa muttered to Zero as they retrieved their horses. He had seen the graveness of her expression. He knew she had to be thinking that she didn't really have a choice in this regard. Kaname Kuran did indeed hold the strongest claim to the throne, and there would be enormous pressure on her to accept. He shook his head. It was best not to think about it too much at the moment. He would have to decide how to proceed from here, but now was not the time, especially when he knew his companion was probably in emotional turmoil, even if he seemed unmoved by what had transpired.

To distract both himself and Zero, he asked, "Not to mention, did you hear that proposal?"

The blond knight faced his horse, pulling a simpering expression. "Oh Yuki, oh my love forever for eternity though we've only spoken for barely a week and the last time we met you were like 8 or something, our love shall be as infinite as the strands of your mane. Will you be my wife and create a bond stronger than the iron shoes on your hooves?"

Zero snorted.

Before they mounted the horses and rejoined the group, which had already started back to the castle, Hanabusa turned to Zero and sneered. "Yuki would have to be daft to fall for that. My dog back home could propose with more style."

The silver-haired youth paused before climbing into the saddle. "It's still her decision." His voice was low and monotone, his words ringing with resignation and finality.

The noble glanced at his friend acutely, gaze challenging. "Even if it's a wrong one?"

That said, he vaulted into the saddle and urged his mare towards the rest of the group without waiting for a response.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Review!


	6. 6 Yuki

**A/N:** Hey guys! Going to Illinois for 4 days w/o internet so here's this week's chapter a day early. Enjoy!

* * *

 **YUKI**

The air was thick with an onslaught of smells and sounds. To celebrate the visit of their cousin Kaname Kuran, the king had called for a tournament to be held, and as such the capital had been thrown into an uproar of activity. In a few short days the festivities had been prepared, and the lists assembled for various competitions, including the joust, sword fighting, and archery. This morning the tournament had begun in a frenzy of excitement. Yuki had been back and forth from the grounds all day, enjoying the revelry.

The first event of the morning had been the competition between the squires, the prize being a knighthood. That was followed by jousting and archery, with the sword fighting to come within a few short moments. The main event of the afternoon, and the one that was rapidly approaching, was the fight between Kaname and Kaien's champions. The king had first offered the honor to his own Bloodguard, who had refused. Kaien had then given the chance to Zero, who was recognized as being one of the most experienced knights in the garrison.

For this reason, she now stood in the preparation tent with the two members of her Bloodguard. Hanabusa was helping Zero into his armor, which was a masterpiece of metalcraft overlaid with a subtle pattern of interwoven thorns, complaining under his breath about having to do the work of a servant. Yuki ignored him and focused her attention on the silver-haired knight, who seemed nonplussed at the prospect of fighting the Kuran champion, Chomei Yamamoto, a name Yuki was unfamiliar with but had generated a buzz of commotion through the crowd. Despite being unknown to her, the knight had apparently won some fame and was recognized as being a particularly fierce fighter.

"You have fat arms," Hanabusa complained. "Do this yourself."

The princess observed the process for a minute, engrossed. She had no idea how the knights in her books donned their armor in the blink of an eye. It seemed like a terribly long and uncomfortable process to fasten into everything, especially in the heat of the summer. She couldn't begin to imagine trying to put on a suit of armor.

"Yuki, you don't need to trouble yourself here. We'll be finished soon." Zero's tone was brusque, though she assumed he was feeling pressure to win the duel. Still… Her fingers picked at the lace on her sleeves. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the silver-haired knight had seemed distant since the arrival of her cousin. Even now his posture suggested distance, faced slightly away from her and towards the wall. She swallowed, suddenly unsure. Had she done something to upset him?

"Zero, good luck." Yuki smiled at the knight encouragingly.

Those violet eyes flicked to her and then away again, impassive. He made no response, concentrating on some distant floating speck of darkness as Hanabusa finished securing him in his armor. Yuki stared at him, disoriented. The dimness of the room crackled around him like static electricity. Despite his outward appearance of calm, he seemed almost angry.

Distressed, she approached him, asking, "Is everything alright?"

Now her knight answered her, although without meeting her eyes, diverting his attention to strapping on his sword belt and adjusting one of his boots. "Yes."

Yuki watched his face for a moment, searching fruitlessly for some hint as to the origin of his dark mood. His monosyllabic reassurance only reinforced her belief that something was wrong. She shot a frantic glance at the blond knight, who shrugged lightly. Her lip caught between her teeth. She didn't want to leave Zero like this, though she knew in a few short moments she would no longer have a choice.

Seized by an idea, she stepped toward him, removing a silk handkerchief from her pocket and pressing it into his hand. "I know I've said this before, and it should be obvious since you are my friend and my Bloodguard, but… I'm on your side, Zero. I'll be cheering for you." That said, she flashed him what she hoped was an enthusiastic grin and quickly exited the preparation tent to hide the flush that had begun to color her cheeks, picking her way across the open square to the benches reserved for the highborn.

Perhaps Zero wouldn't think anything of her action, but she knew better than anyone its significance. She gave her favor to Zero as a friend and as an ally to bolster his courage during the fight. However, to anyone else watching, it would have seemed to acquire a different, deeper meaning… Feeling the blush deepen, heating her skin, she shoved those thoughts forcibly aside. Now wasn't the time or the place to evaluate what she had done.

She reorganized her thoughts, though she couldn't help but replay Zero's cold treatment of her. Sitting down on the nearly empty front bench reserved for the high nobility, she took a breath, deciding that she would confront Zero about what was troubling him later. His behavior was not out of the ordinary, though it had been a long time since he had last been this way. Sometimes Zero would plunge into a black mood and push her away without explanation. She traced the grain of the wood on the bench. Zero had suffered so much, so very much, before her adopted father had brought him here… She wished that she could take away the pain from his past, find some way to heal the scars that he bore both within and without, but all that she could do was listen in the rare moments when he confided to her his secret torments.

A flutter of motion caught her eye from across the square. The squires and pages were beginning the preparations for the fight now. Two boys were drawing out the square for the duel with white chalk while others brought the banners for the royal and Kuran houses and placed them at the front. Across the grounds she could see her adopted father approaching with Kaname, heading for the royal box from which they could best watch the competition. If she had wished, Yuki could have watched the festivities with them from the box, but she had preferred to find her own seating amongst the nobility. At least by doing so she was given a respite from her cousin.

"How do you like the tournament, My Lady?" A quiet, yet oddly cheerful voice spoke from just behind her right shoulder. Yuki turned to see Takuma Ichijou, the noble lord who had arrived with her cousin.

"Oh! Please, take a seat." She gestured beside her, to which the noble smiled widely, settling down onto the bench. "I've been enjoying it immensely. It's not often that we have a tournament of this caliber."

"That is good. I hear your knight Zero is going to be fighting against My Lord Kaname's champion?"

"Yes. Is my cousin's champion as skilled as they say?"

A sardonic smile touched the noble's lips. "Let's see...one could say that he is…a great fan himself of the tournaments, and always eager to participate."

Yuki glanced at the slim blond lord, blinking in momentary confusion. Had he actually answered her question at all? Not that it particularly mattered, as she would soon learn for herself the quality of Kaname's champion. More than that, she was confident that Zero would defeat his opponent, no matter how skilled or powerful he was.

"And how do you like the game so far?" Takuma Ichijou queried, leaning back casually on the bench, gaze remaining on the jousting below.

"Which game?" Once again Yuki was thrown by his words. There were no competitions currently taking place. Chatting with this lord was rather like a joust in itself. One that she feared she was losing terribly, though it had scarcely begun.

Now the noble glanced at her, lips quirking upwards again. He seemed amused. "The only game. The game of thrones."

Her brow furrowed. Seeing her expression, he laughed lightly and inquired, "Are you thinking to accept his offer, then?"

For a moment, Yuki wasn't sure what he was referring to. Within the next instant, however, she quickly made the leap. What else could he be referring to but Kaname's marriage proposal? She was embarrassed that he knew of it, although she should have expected as much. It was rumored that Kaname and Takuma were particularly close friends, and the fact that her cousin had brought the minor lord with him on his visit supported this.

She hesitated, unsure of what to say. There was much she had to consider, and she was still far from reaching a decision. She knew her adopted father would honor whatever choice she made, but there was far more at stake given the situation than his approval. The man she chose as husband affected the future of the Nine Kingdoms. It was not a decision to be made rashly.

"I am considering his offer," she replied tactfully, hoping to deflect him from further questioning.

"I see. Well, I hope you'll forgive me for being forward, but I would advise you to accept Lord Kuran's offer. I say this as his friend and yours as well, My Lady. I believe both parties would benefit from such an alliance. Besides, I think black would not suit you."

What? Yuki frowned at him, puzzled. This Takuma Ichijou was strange. In response to her confusion he merely smiled serenely, green eyes twinkling cryptically.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me?" Takuma stood, giving her a shallow bow and sweeping out of the stands, leaving as unexpectedly as he had arrived.

Before she could ponder his words too deeply, however, a trumpet call cracked through the air. The duel was beginning. Those who hadn't taken their seats yet hurriedly filled the benches. To her right sat Akatsuki Kain, who murmured a greeting. She remembered that he had jousted earlier this morning, and was about to offer him praise for his performance, when a glint of silver approaching from across the square distracted her and put an abrupt end to her thoughts.

Although Yuki had seen Zero nearly every day for the past four years, at this moment he seemed almost a stranger to her. Where his hair was usually the silver with which she identified him, now his entire figure had been transformed by the color. Striding across the compacted dirt, accompanied by cheers from the crowd, shoulders squared and straight, he seemed almost regal. Across the shield he carried in his left hand blazed the royal emblem of an ebony X over a maze of thorns, marking him the royal champion. At his side the deep purple gem inset in the hilt of his long sword winked at her in the sunlight. Every inch of him was a knight. In the same instant she felt both immensely proud and oddly estranged from him.

Approaching from the other side of the square was Kaname Kuran's champion. Taking in his form, her eyes widened slightly. Although Zero was one of the tallest knights at the castle, Chomei Yamamoto towered over his opponent. He wasn't much broader than the royal knight, but his height would definitely provide him an advantage. He was dressed entirely in crimson trimmed with black, his shield decorated with the demonic wolf that was the symbol of the Kuran house. At his right side hung a long sword as well, its once-copper hilt stained an almost rusty color that suggested blood.

"A left-hander," Akatsuki commented in an undertone beside her.

"Is that good or bad?" she asked, nervous.

The red-head raised and lowered one shoulder. "It's unusual. Because there aren't many left-handed knights here in our guard we don't train as much to defend from that side, so it might be to Zero's disadvantage, but then again perhaps not. He's had a lot more practice fighting than the rest of us, so it might not affect him at all." Yuki nodded, relieved. If anyone was prepared for this duel, it was Zero.

"You're cheering for Zero, are you not?" Akatsuki inquired then.

"Of course." How could she do otherwise? Zero was not only one of her Bloodguard, but also her friend. Even if she might become Kaname's wife and queen, her knight would always remain first in her heart. Friendship was far stronger than any tie created by a political marriage.

"Ruka isn't," he muttered. "She's obsessed with your cousin."

Yuki remembered hearing from Hanabusa that Akatsuki was madly in love with the Lady Ruka, although his passion was unrequited. She felt sympathetic, and said, "Perhaps she'll become disillusioned if his champion does poorly." Her reply elicited a faint smile from him.

In the square drawn in chalk for the competition, the knight who had been elected to oversee the battle stepped forward, introducing the champions and allowing them the chance to greet one another. The knight then raised his hand, the signal for the duelists to prepare. Swords slid from the scabbards like the hiss of metallic serpents. When the hand shot downwards to mark the beginning of the duel, a hush fell over the area.

For a beat, neither of the two knights moved. Yuki could see them silently assessing one another. The crowd waited, breath baited, excitement palpable around her. She could hear bets still being settled, and wondered who the majority favored. From the doorway of the preparation tent Yuki could see Hanabusa watching, arms folded and posture relaxed. Both of them knew who would win this fight.

It was Zero who made the first move, feinting to the right before pivoting towards the left with impressive speed. Chomei evaded the attack easily, countering with a swift swing of his own blade that caused the two swords to clash together with the resounding cry of steel against steel. Immediately, the silver knight was moving fluidly into another counterattack, keeping his motions flawless and without pause. Nevertheless, Kaname's champion was skilled and met her Bloodguard blow for blow. Yuki felt herself being drawn in, engrossed by the perilous dance before her.

"Zero agreed to this, didn't he?" Akatsuki leaned over and whispered, eyes still fixed on the dueling pair.

"Of course." Yuki felt a surge of pride for her guard. Zero always fought with honor and represented his fellow knights well.

"Did he know what he was agreeing to?"

"What do you mean?"

In front of them, the fight continued heatedly. Zero had begun his attack in earnest now, the edge of his sword connecting with his opponent's armor in a series of metallic echoes, although the full strength of the blows was deflected easily. Chomei parried with expertise, watching his adversary, biding his time. At the right opportunity, he would strike with the lethal precision of a cobra. Unfortunately for her cousin, Zero knew well how to play this game, avoiding Chomei's blade agilely.

"My Lady, Chomei is known to be a dishonorable foe." Akatsuki frowned. "He has never lost a fight…and never failed to kill every one of his opponents."

Yuki's chest seized with sudden tightness. She hadn't known this. Chomei Yamamoto was a name entirely unfamiliar to her. She didn't doubt Zero's skill, but after hearing Akatsuki's words she felt the traces of fear beginning to twine through her veins.

The moments slid past, hitting and grinding against one another like the swords of the dueling knights. The two champions seemed tireless, concentrated, although Yuki detected a hint of the storm she had seen earlier in Zero's eyes. His movements seemed almost impatient or frustrated, and the swings of his sword seemed to contain more force than usual. She prayed that it was her imagination, prayed that it would not affect the outcome of the fight.

Remembering his mood, remembering the tempestuous violet of his eyes, Yuki was suddenly transported to the practice fields four years ago, when Zero had first come to the castle. It had only been a short time since his arrival, but his suffering had made her feel like she had to do something, that she should focus on someone other than herself. She had been so desperate to help him, both then and now…

 _Yuki had come out to the fields to observe Zero, who had started his training to become a knight only a week ago. Today, his master had him training his upper body strength and endurance by running a heavy box from one end of the training field to the other. The boy was already in good shape from fighting as a slave for so long, but his master wanted to ensure that he was in top form for the grueling training that was to come._

 _The silver-haired youth stopped a few paces ahead of her on the field, dropping the crate he carried with an audible thud. Sweat glistened from his brow, which he wiped away absently. Despite the exhausting work, he wasn't out of breath. He took a swig of water from his canteen on the ground, and then tossed it back to the dirt. As he did so, a blossoming crimson blot caught her attention._

" _What is that?" she gasped, rushing over upon seeing the dark stain spreading across the material of his shirt._

 _Zero shrugged, eyes violent as they flickered hostilely at her. He was clearly intent upon continuing his training, as he maneuvered to lift the hefty crate and carry it back across the yard._

 _Flustered with preoccupation, Yuki grabbed his arm, demanding insistently, "Let me see."_

 _Twin violet orbs pinned her with a glower of sheer enmity. He faced her, frame taut with scarcely contained aggression, and lifted the side of his shirt to reveal a ragged, barely closed gash that ran diagonal across his ribs. Blood seeped from the reopened wound, and Yuki pressed a hand against her mouth, horrified._

" _Do you want to know how this happened?" he asked, tone dangerous._

 _She nodded, hesitant but curious._

 _He smirked cruelly. "They make you fight to the death. That one, he also gave me a scar on my arm." He waited a moment, a malevolent smile flicking across his mouth. "He bites his opponents. Drinks their blood. Tears out their flesh." Again he waited for his words to sink in. Then, "This one, he used a long iron nail. He was trying to nail me to the floor. But I killed him." He gave a dry laugh. "A man can't live long without intestines."_

 _She shuddered, sickened by his words. She couldn't imagine living that way. She had heard how they kept the slave pits. Dark, with little food or water, forced to fight to the death sometimes multiple times a day. Her adopted father had told her Zero had been in those pits for 6 years. She couldn't begin to fathom the mental scars that he must bear, far worse than the physical ones. To force a mere child to kill, day after day…_

 _Overcome with horror and sympathy, she flung her arms around him then. She needed to show him that he was safe here, to demonstrate what it was like to be cared for, to have a friend. She was sure he hadn't had one before, abandoned to the inhumane world of the slavers._

" _It's okay, you won't ever have to do such a thing again. You're safe here," she assured him as her arms found their way around his neck._

 _She felt him stiffen, and immediately he pushed her away, gaze thunderous with peril. "Don't touch me," he growled._

" _Then get someone to treat that wound," she persisted, not to be deterred by his attitude._

 _He turned his back on her, kneeling to pick up the crate again._

 _"If you don't, I'll follow you around for the rest of the day and hug you every time you put down the crate," she threatened, crossing her arms._

 _For a moment, she felt a spark of fear from the sudden, intense expression of animosity that clouded his features. She stood firm though, resolute, and he finally spit out, "Fine," stalking away from her and towards the benches where some of the other knights were._

 _She relaxed then, feeling giddy with nerves and the elation of asserting herself properly. She watched Zero as he spoke with the older knights, demonstrating his wound. What kind of person was he? He had only been here a few weeks, and she realized now how little she knew about him. She only hoped that he would be able to overcome his past._

 _A thought occurred to her and she giggled. If he wouldn't try to do it himself, she could always nag him into it. The tactic seemed to work quite well. She only hoped it wouldn't be much longer before they could have a proper conversation. She was curious to know more about the boy her adopted father planned to transform into one of her knights._

Without warning, Chomei knocked Zero's sword arm out to the side with a well-timed attack, sending his sword skittering across the ring and bringing her back to the present with a jolt. The next blow came in a blur, impacting with thunderous force against the royal crest of the Bloodguard's shield. The crowd erupted in a frenzy at the unexpected turn the battle had taken. Yuki's breath seized in her throat, heart pounding against her ribs. Fear paralyzed her limbs, locking her in place.

Zero had said once that the fights in the pits against expert fighters rarely lasted more than a matter of seconds. As soon as one person stumbled, it was over. The outcome was already decided. A man who lost his footing was as good as dead, he had explained. Even if it was only a competition, it still put her on edge to see that her knight had lost the advantage. What if he was injured? What if the injury was accidental but fatal? She bit her lip, anxious.

The next strike from Chomei's blade was delivered with such blinding speed and precision that Zero's attempt to block came a second too late. The sword collided against the Bloodguard's left shoulder, causing him to stumble and nearly drop his shield from the force behind the hit. The Kuran champion dealt a kick that propelled his adversary backwards, stepping forward to wrench the heavy iron shield from the knight's hands and fling it away across the ring. The shield arced across the dirt square to the far side like a wayward cannonball, where it crashed into the wooden podium used for announcing the events, shattering it. Wood chips scattered through the air like a hundred birds suddenly taking flight. In the next instant, Chomei ruthlessly pushed the offense with a slash that was clearly intended to remove the helmet, or possibly the head, of the royal guard as Zero tried to force himself to his feet. The sunlight flashed across the surface of the longsword, sparking through the air. The roar of the crowd drowned out all sound.

Abruptly, there wasn't enough oxygen. What little remained scalded her lungs, sucked in with violent force as she gripped the edge of the bench with white knuckles. The world crackled dizzily around her, sound phasing in and out of static as she desperately held herself in place. Her lips trembled, silently forming Zero's name, the movement of those familiar syllables cracking across her tongue like the lashes of a whip.

There wasn't supposed to be any danger to Zero's life. This was a tournament, a competition, not the life or death combats of the slave pits. Yet, Chomei's blade was coming fast and forcefully, reinforced with the clear intention to kill. She could hear Akatsuki's words resounding through her head. _He has never lost a fight…and never failed to kill every one of his opponents._ She fought to draw in a panicked breath, eyes laced with fire as she fought back tears.

If Zero were to die here, if Zero were to lose, if what Akatsuki had said were true… No, no, she couldn't even pursue the thought through to its finish. Her mind jumbled, thoughts stumbling together into endless knots. Zero couldn't die, not here, not now, he couldn't… If he were to die… Her chest constricted in fiery pain.

Chomei's sword struck the knight. The sound of metal against metal screamed a harmony to the excited shouts of the crowd. Yuki squeezed her eyes shut, dreading and terrified of what she might see if she opened them. Nauseous with fear, however, she reopened them almost instantly to see that Zero had received the blow on his forearm. Metal cut into his flesh between the plates of his armor, dripping scarlet down into the earth. In the next beat, Zero had lunged forward, grabbing the blade with his left hand and using his foe's movement against him to jerk the sword from his hands with a twisting motion. Blood flowed from his palm and ran down the length of the blade. The royal champion did not flinch, however, plowing into his opponent with brute strength as he stood, causing the other to lose his footing and fall to the ground. In the next moment, the tip of Chomei's own sword was held against the soft flesh of his neck, and the sound of a horn blared the signal for the end of the fight. The duel was over in the blink of an eye. Zero had won.

Yuki gasped with relief, shaking with horror at what had nearly transpired. She felt too weak to stand and cheer with the crowd. Suddenly, overwhelmingly, she wanted to feel him tangibly in her arms, to prove to herself with the touch and the sight and the smell of him that he was alive. Never again. Not ever again.

She never wanted to come so close to losing Zero again.

* * *

 **A/N:** The chap is longer this time! Woop! Review and tune in next week~


	7. 7 Zero

**ZERO**

The door bounced off its frame, leaving the threshold of his room slightly ajar. Zero sat heavily on the bed, feeling exhausted. He had left the doctors at the first possible moment, but the moment hadn't arrived soon enough. He felt drained from the force of his emotions, from the duel, from the hovering physicians. His injuries were nothing, not in comparison to what he had undergone before. Far worse now was having to observe, ever the silent sentinel, the only thing he had ever wanted slip away. Why had he chosen to love the only person in this world who he could never be with? It seemed as though he had been designed to suffer.

Zero stared at the already bloody bandages tracing white lines across his hand and forearm. Were the gashes deep enough to scar this time? He smirked, lips slashing upwards across his face like a wound. Did Yuki know the cursed blood he possessed? Did she know that her Bloodguard was a thing almost other than human, warped by the strange power his heritage had given him? Almost nothing was known about the Kiryuus, but this… Perhaps there was a reason his village had been destroyed, so long ago. Perhaps they had been nothing more than monsters.

He flexed his fingers, taking pleasure in the coursing of fire that streamed through his veins from his fingertips up. The pain reminded him that he was alive, still breathing despite all the years that he had spent stifled and suffocating in the fetid darkness. That darkness festered even now underneath his skin, always present, always threatening to emerge. The single remedy, the single barrier between himself and the descent into that abyss, was Yuki. What would he become when she was forever beyond his reach?

A laugh climbed up his throat, locking just behind his teeth. Really, this was… He was going insane. He shook his head. Hanabusa was a fool. Good-hearted, but a fool. There was no hope for Zero, here in this colorless space between existence and nothing. He was barely human, barely a knight, barely a friend… Once again, the laugh threatened to strangle him. It was too much, suddenly all too much.

How had he fallen like this? Why did he torture himself this way, when it would be far easier to let her go? Somehow, he knew that it was already impossible. She was tattooed in his heart just as he had tattooed her on his skin. Hadn't she told him to do so? His expression softened. She had seemed so surprised when he had showed her how he had listened and followed her advice, but she should have known that she had been burned into his soul long ago. He could still feel the warmth of her arms around him at that time, so much hotter than the flames before him…

 _He despised it, the filthy mark they had branded into his skin that advertised for all of the world exactly what he was. Slave. Trash. Nothing. It festered there, an infection over his heart that burrowed deeper with every passing day, worming its way into his bones and depositing putrid maggots into his marrow. The symbol of what they had forced him to become was poisoning his soul from the inside out, eating away at his soul until there was nothing but a hollow husk._

 _Fury scalded through him, fierce and insistent. He no longer belonged to them. No longer would he batter himself for their amusement. No longer would he murder innocent children or others like himself in cold blood for the sake of a game. No longer, no longer would he watch their terrified eyes lose the final gleam of light and of hope before him, their lives sticking to his limbs in accusing crimson. No. He couldn't stand it. If he had to claw this brand off himself, he would not let it remain there to rot his flesh._

 _He took the iron poker in his hand, feeling the heat from the fire caress his skin. It would hurt, and for that he smiled. Let it hurt. He would erase it completely, as if it never was. The scar he bore after would be a direct challenge to the men who had dared to claim him as their property. He would not remain chained to the past. Now the future was not painted black as it had been before._

 _Inhaling slowly, he raised the poker. His eyes shut, and he methodically counted backwards in his head until the moment that he seared the mark of his enslavement from his skin._

 _4, 3, 2…_

 _Without warning, something collided with him, causing him to drop the rod, which clattered across the floor loudly. Thin arms wrapped around him, and a soft form pressed into his back, shoulders trembling. Long fingers sought a hold against him, striving to keep him there, striving to convey the emotions contained there._

 _"What are you doing?!" he heard Yuki exclaim in horror, voice muffled against his back._

 _For a moment, a lightning strike of irritation flashed through him. Why did she always interfere? Why did she never respect his wishes when he shut his door and himself off from everyone? She always seemed to find him just before he plunged himself once again into his past, shoving her way literally and figuratively into his room and his heart. He started to jerk away, but those arms only tightened their grip. Really, this girl… She clung to him as though he were at the edge of precipice, and if she released him he would plummet to his death._

 _The tension eased out of him. It was true. Yuki was his anchor. Without her, wouldn't he already have become some kind of demon, consumed by his own memories, by what had been created within him? She didn't realize how much he needed her. She was the antidote that he could no longer breathe without._

 _"Forget about the brand, Zero. It doesn't mean anything." At last, feeling him calm down, she let him go, moving to face him squarely, eyes anguished._

 _She shouldn't worry for him. It was his fault that she wore this expression, but… What right did he have to such an expression? He turned back to the fire, jaw tightening. She was the princess of the Nine Kingdoms. She shouldn't show him such a face. It was hard enough to stand still as it was without touching her. His fingers clenched into a fist, nails gouging into his palm._

" _The brand is only skin-deep," she continued. Out of his peripheral he could see her searching desperately for his eyes with her own. He stared harder into the flames. "Zero." Her voice persisted, firm. Her fingers brushed the mark against his chest. He flinched away from that touch, finally shocked into meeting her gaze. A shiver of warmth raced across his skin from where her fingertips had been._

" _Zero," she repeated, "if what is only skin-deep is what hurts you, then don't replace it with another shallow mark. Place something much deeper there. Tattoo the bond that we have over your heart, so that the brand can never touch you there again. I'll be with you always, so you'll be alright."_

 _For a moment, her words caused his pulse to speed, his breath to catch. What? What she was saying couldn't possibly be. It couldn't be, yet he was helpless before the hope that thrust through him now. For the span of a single moment, the shadows that dwelled within him had been obliterated._

 _And then, he caught her direct, innocent stare, completely frank and honest and open. Those eyes hid nothing, expressing the purity of her wishes with all the subtlety of a shout. In that next moment, the air came rushing back, and iron chains shut around his heart. She couldn't know the desperate hope her words had inspired in him. The bitter reality of his station pressed around him once again, but he did not let it choke him. He had already decided long ago that he would remain by her side and protect her for as long as he lived._

 _Yuki had been tattooed over his heart long ago._

Zero pressed a hand against his neck, brow creasing. The inked symbol was invisible to his unseeing fingers, but he could feel it there against him like a ghost. Indeed, even after his death… He would always exist for Yuki. So why was he allowing himself to become emotional now? He should not feel angry, or jealous, or sad. Of course Yuki would marry Kaname Kuran. If not him, someone else. Anyone else. Anyone but him.

During the duel, feeling the storm brewing within him, he had nearly forgotten. As he had watched Chomei's sword hurry towards him with the intent to kill, he had thought that it would be a sweet relief from this torture. Before the blade had struck, however, he had remembered his vows, remembered the promise he had made to Yuki and how he would not be able to protect her from the grave.

As if in response to his thoughts, Zero heard the patter of hasty footsteps in the hallway, and he braced himself for another intrusion. He had become strangely accustomed to Yuki's complete disregard for his personal space. The door which he had left ajar was shoved open unceremoniously, and her familiar form collided with him as he heard her cry, "Zero! There you are!" The glimpse he had of her face revealed that she was shaken by the duel. The same warm arms that had prevented him from searing that brand from his chest surrounded him tightly. He felt the touch of her cheek against him, heard the soft sound of her breathing as she held him for that fleeting moment. Her voice resounded close to his ear, vibrating through his flesh with hypnotizing power. Inside him, his heart convulsed desperately.

"I looked for you everywhere… You left the infirmary. I was so scared that you were going to die," she whispered. "I thought… When the sword came down… He was so strong, and for a second I thought I had lost you. Please, don't be so reckless again to risk your life needlessly. It wasn't necessary, and, and…" She swallowed, releasing him. "I don't want to lose you."

Those chocolate eyes melted into him, anguished. They washed over him and left him dried out and helpless before her. They were the same eyes that had watched over him, all of these years. The same eyes that had driven straight through his soul, that had seen through his demons and that had accepted them without hesitation, as they had accepted his vow of knighthood to her those two short years ago.

" _My Lady," he called her from behind in a low voice. Inside, he longed to call her by her name aloud, though he dared not._

 _The princess turned, the light from the window beside her in the corridor glinting her hair with a burgundy shimmer. As she rotated to face him, he knelt, taking a breath. He had done this long ago within his own heart. No matter what happened in the future, or how cruel she might be towards him one day, he belonged to her. She had already saved him from himself a thousand times over, and nothing he did could ever be enough compensation for this._

 _Her eyes widened as she noticed for the first time the tattoo that had been inked on the left side of his neck. He had used the royal symbol of twisting, thorny vines, over which bloomed a single bloody rose, the emblem of his own ruined family. Given that the Kiryuus had a symbol, he supposed that once upon a time they had been influential. Now, however, there was only him… A relic of an already dead bloodline, a killer…_

 _Despite the weight of his thoughts, Zero felt strangely calm. It was Yuki's presence, he knew, that soothed him. He had only to look at her, to know that she was there, to feel the strangling pressure of those chains dissolve. Before she had the opportunity to question him, he reached out and took her hand in both of his, meeting her gaze solemnly and recited the words he had prepared._

" _Princess," he paused, tongue still heavy with the desire to utter her name, "a few days ago you prevented me from doing something foolish, and I took your words to heart." He tilted his neck unconsciously, remembering the sharp pain of the needle against his skin, etching her there for eternity. "You've known this from the start…I've been damaged by my own demons and I fear that those demons are not dormant, but rather that they are hell-bent on destroying me and everything I cherish. And you…I cherish you."_

 _The words did not begin to describe her importance or his own heart. He took a breath, steeling his heart to continue. "Therefore, My Lady Yuki Kuran, I pledge here and now to serve you as your knight and to bind my life to yours for as long as I shall live. From now until my last breath I swear that I shall protect you with my sword and that no matter the danger I shall lay down my life for yours if need be. I swear it on the blood of my name." His violet eyes traced her dark ones. "My leftover existence is yours."_

 _For an indeterminable span of time, punctuated by the beat of his heart, the two of them remained there, locked still like sculptures. As he had expected, he'd taken Yuki by surprise. Her lips twitched for a moment, clearly struggling for words. Her eyes touched against his tattoo, against his face, against the hands which held hers still._

 _Finally, she spoke, quietly but without faltering. "I accept your pledge of loyalty and service." She squeezed his hands gently, a smile brightening her face. "Rise, Zero Kiryuu, as my knight."_

 _As he stood, he felt the complete peace that overwhelmed him in her presence. A rare, subtle smile of his own tilted upward the corners of his mouth. A sense of rightness filled him. In this moment, everything had fallen into place. He belonged to her, now and forever._

A smack against his shoulder jerked him from his thoughts. Yuki was glaring at him now, pouting. Her eyebrows had pulled down angrily, but it was obvious that she wasn't really upset with him.

"Geez, you're so stupid!" she chastised him. "How could you risk your life like that for a competition? Don't ever do anything like that again! You should value your life more!"

"Sorry," Zero said simply. He didn't refute her, although she should already know that his life was of little value, apart from serving her. He only actively avoided death in order to protect her. Yuki was the sole significance of his existence. And at that time, fighting against Kaname's champion, he had only been thinking that the outcome of the fight didn't matter. Either way he would lose the chance to be close to her like this…

"You're really stupid," she repeated, frowning. "Seriously…" Something passed across her face then, the wisp of an expression she hid from him. Then, almost inaudibly, "I'm glad you're okay."

She leaned towards him then, her lips pressing gently against his cheek for the barest of moments. Time had stopped. Zero was immobilized; even his breath had paused in his throat. Her kiss burned against him with a touch far hotter and far more painful than any attempt he would have made to sear his brand from his skin. He felt trapped, restless, powerless. He could feel the brush of her hair against his neck, smell the faint scent of soap that clung to her clothes, hear the soft exhalation of her breath, yet he was unable to make a sound, to move an inch. To allow the barrier he had so carefully built between her and his heart to waver for even a second would be his destruction.

Yuki straightened, and he felt the air rush back into his lungs. Time continued. He stared at her now, uncomprehending of her sweet gesture. She was flushing now, embarrassed, eyes averted to some distant point in space. She always did this to him, led him to believe that somewhere within her, perhaps, there was a sentiment that echoed more deeply than friendship… And then, as always, he was struck by her innocence once more. She didn't know what she did to him.

"You should rest," she counseled, still not quite meeting his eyes. "You need to heal."

He nodded.

"Make sure you do get some good rest." She shot a hard look his way.

"I will," he assured her.

"Okay. I'll come check on you later. Sleep well." Flashing him a grin to hide her continued embarrassment, she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

As her slight form passed through the entryway, he thought he caught a glimpse of a shadow sliding away out of sight. It was gone before he had fully taken note of it, however, and he wasn't sure if there had been anything there at all. Perhaps it had just been his imagination, or his fatigue was finally catching up with him.

He sighed, laying back on the bed and closing his eyes. His uninjured hand moved idly up to brush the place where she had kissed him.

He had to find a way to cut this worthless longing out of himself before it damaged him any further…

* * *

 **A/N:** Poor Zero... Also random but I wonder who would win in a tournament with like Kain vs Ichijou or Aidou vs Zero or Aidou vs Kain... Hmmmm...! Who do you think is most likely the best/worst knight out of the bunch? LOL


	8. 8 Yuki

**YUKI**

Yuki sighed, running a finger along the handle of her pink and blue teacup, watching the steam curl from it and dissipate into the afternoon. Disregarding her manners, she leaned an elbow against the silky green tablecloth, cupping her chin in her hand and watching the play of the sunlight through the water of the swan fountain. She had requested to take her tea alone in the garden today, but even here, surrounded by a rainbow of flowers, wafting perfumes, and the cheerful bubbling of the water, she could not escape the gloom of her thoughts. Nor was she truly alone, as a servant and a pair of guards assigned by Hanabusa to watch her for the day stood at attention a few paces away.

She picked at the edge of her blueberry tart with a tangerine colored nail, crushing the powdery shell into dust. Her adopted father might have told her that she was free to follow her heart, but she was all too aware of the consequences of such a decision. Being in a position of power was delicate, despite outward appearances to the contrary, and she knew that to risk the support of the other half of the Kuran family was dangerous. Marrying Kaname would allow the throne to stay in the hands of the Kurans as well, a fact she couldn't dismiss. Although a decision to marry Hanabusa would be equally supported by the nobility, the crown would then pass to an Aidou. Either decision would cause very different but equally influential ripples, and aside from those two options, there would be very little backing indeed for another choice…

Across the garden path, shoes crunching against the white stone, approached a pair of lovers, laughing and holding hands. Yuki watched as they moved past, oblivious to all else outside their rosy sphere. Her mouth screwed upwards into a rueful grimace for a moment. Most likely, she would never experience love like that. A princess could not afford to. She sucked in her breath through her teeth, turning back to the spread before her. Her marriage must be one carefully decided based on politics. There would be no romance in her future. Sorrow loomed in her mind at the thought.

She sighed, watching her breath ripple across the surface of her tea. Her adopted father hadn't been much help either when she'd gone to consult his advice. She understood his wish for her to choose her own path, but she was foundering and only wanted a bit of guidance. The opinion of a parent would have held profound importance for her.

 _"Yuki, I cannot make this decision for you," King Kaien told her with kindness. "In this world, love is a dangerous thing, a weakness to be exploited by enemies… However, it is also our greatest strength and joy. The path you choose, I want that to be a decision you reach in your own heart. I cannot offer you my opinion of the matter because my only desire is your happiness."_

 _"And if I'm incapable of making the decision alone?" She turned pleading eyes towards the older man._

 _"Perhaps it would be best to ask the advice of those closest to you," he advised, refilling his teacup._

 _She noticed for the first time then his age, the creases at his brow, the way the teapot shook in his grasp. A pang of sympathy and sadness clenched around her heart. Being a king had aged him rapidly, with all the stress of the court and politics. She only wished that they could indeed return to their summer vacation home, to escape if only for a short time._

 _Instead, it was as if a dark tidal wave was gathering force, rising up to crush them both._

As if to echo the course of her thoughts, a shadow fell across the table, and her cousin's now familiar, sickly sweet voice asked, "May I join you?"

"Of course." She gestured to the servant, who immediately went to fetch another chair and set of china.

"The gardens are quite beautiful. I remember your mother, my aunt Juri, used to come here with your father often. They are still greatly missed among the court…"

As always, hearing her late parents mentioned threw a mantel of gloom over her shoulders. "They were greatly loved and admired by the court and the people." She managed a slight smile.

"Yes, although it was also that love that drove them to their deaths…"

It had been 15 years since her parents had been brutally murdered, and although she could scarcely recall their faces, she could still feel their presence strongly embedded into her heart. It had been the disgrace of the Kuran family, a terrible nightmare born from jealousy. She knew the history well. Her mother Juri had been promised to Kaname's father, Rido, but when love had blossomed between Juri and Rido's younger brother Haruka, the engagement had been swiftly altered accordingly. And then, in a fit of rage not long after her birth, Rido had ended the lives of her parents and been sent to exile in a tiny corner of the Touma lands to the south. She could never forget the story for as long as she lived.

"I'm sorry," Kaname apologized, settling into the chair of ironwork filigree that the servant brought now. A second servant placed a second set of the pink and blue china before him, filling his cup with the cinnamon tea Yuki had chosen today. "I should not remind you…"

"It's alright. I'm only happy that they are still remembered." She smoothed a crease in her dress. The servants had chosen yellow chiffon today to match the sunny weather, although currently the princess felt anything other than sunny.

"How is your knight faring after the duel? If I recall, he was injured. I know I told you this before, but he fought well." He chuckled. "My champion has been beside himself, demanding a rematch."

Her mind turning to Zero and away from darker memories caused her face to immediately brighten. "He's recovering speedily. The injuries weren't as grave as they first seemed, thank goodness."

"It seems the two of you are close. I don't remember him being here when I last visited, although I admit that was many years ago. When did he arrive at the castle?"

"Oh, he was rescued by my Lord Father from the fighting pits a few years ago." She nibbled the corner of her tart now, distracted from her previous thoughts. "I suppose we have become close. It was rather inevitable, I think. When he first came he was in desperate need of a friend." _A friend._ A numbing shadow coursed her veins.

"He chose his friend correctly then, I would say." Kaname smiled at her. "He could not find better companionship than you."

"Thank you." She hurriedly took a sip of her tea to hide her distress. She never knew how to respond to such comments, and she knew that responding might lead him to assumptions she'd rather him not make just yet. She had not made her decision on whether to accept his proposal or not, even though many days had passed since then.

"And I, too, desire that companionship…" he murmured now, eyes capturing her now panicked ones.

"Um…" She was at a loss for words. What should she do? So much rested on the outcome of this proposal.

"I don't mean to rush you, my Lady, but I cannot stay here at the castle much longer. My affairs await back in my own lands. More than that…" He reached across the table, touching her hand with his fingertips. She resisted the urge to flinch away, holding herself carefully in place. "…I truly do not wish to lose you. You are a treasure, a rare gem amongst the rest of the nobility. Much like your mother… I worry that perhaps another will steal your heart if I do not claim it first."

She took a deep breath, stalling for time. Was she a treasure, as he said, because of her title or because of her personality? She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Then she met his eyes firmly. She had to summon as much courage as she could to assert herself.

"Cousin, I tell you truly that at the moment there is no other that I would consider as my husband." Yuki told him seriously, feeling a surge of pride with her rare moment of tact. "However, I'm afraid this is all very sudden for me, and… Please, allow me a little more time to get to know you better before I make any agreement." She allowed her words to give a positive impression, keeping her expression as open and honest as she could.

Something empty flickered through Kaname's eyes, and when he spoke the syllables resounded hollowly. "Of course. Although, I must also point out that you would have unlimited time to better know me after our marriage, as I would not have to leave your side."

"Yes, I have also-" she broke off mid-sentence, spying a glimpse of Hanabusa across the garden, ringed by an obnoxious assortment of noble women wearing such vibrant gowns that they themselves almost seemed part of the flowerbeds. "Would you excuse me? I just remembered that I have urgent business with my knight."

Again vacancy glinted in the depths of his eyes, but her cousin replied gracefully as always. "I hope that you shall honor me with your company later tonight, then, while we dine."

"I shall." She curtsied and left the table, forcing herself to move slowly and without hurry, though she only wanted to flee.

Passing the fountain and beneath the arch of morning glories, Yuki refused to look behind her. If she did, she might betray herself to her cousin. She knew she was the one at fault to keep delaying her decision, but the pressure was choking her, and it didn't help that Kaname continued to push her for it. Or that in her heart she didn't truly want it…

At last she reached the throng of chattering women. They giggled behind their patterned fans, smitten with the blond knight, and Yuki once again felt a pang of jealousy. She wished that she, too, could afford to dedicate herself to trivialities. Hanabusa looked at her with surprise augmented with a touch of annoyance at her interruption. He greeted her formally, along with the rest of the swarm, and she murmured niceties to them, moving to clutch her knight's sleeve desperately.

"Walk with me?" she pleaded in an undertone.

His gaze flicked across the garden to the secluded alcove where she had been taking her tea, and comprehension lit his eyes. "Forgive me, my ladies," he bowed, taking Yuki's arm, "if you'll excuse me for a moment?"

"Thank you," she whispered as he steered her away.

"The princess is so lucky," she heard one of the noble ladies whisper mournfully and none too quietly to her companions before they moved out of earshot. "She has two of the most handsome men in the city at her side, not to mention her cousin now as well…"

"I saw her conversing with the lords Akatsuki Kain and Takuma Ichijou at the tournament as well," a second began. "I'm jealous."

"Tch," an irritated voice contributed to their gossip. "How many men does she think she needs to fawn over her?"

Yuki laughed beneath her breath, and saw that Hanabusa did the same beside her. She relaxed her grip on his arm, mood lightening now that she was far enough away from the suffocating tea table. She would never comprehend how her knight endured the company of such shallow women, but she wasn't going to fault him. It certainly was enviable to spend her days as he did his.

"It seems you've been quite busy accumulating your own following, princess." He grinned, continuing casually, "Although I must say… I would never devote myself to a woman so clearly enamored with another…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, a flush rising to her cheeks. There was no one she loved, except as a friend… At least… her mind ordained that very carefully.

"Nothing, of course. I do have to tell you this as your friend, though, my Lady. If you feel trapped…" He ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm offering this. If you don't want this, you can always tell your cousin you've already promised to marry me." His mouth pulled down at one side, clearly disgruntled by this idea. A beat later, however, he shot her another grin, muttering, "Besides, as the king and your legal husband I could order our royal divorce and ship you off to some island with Kiryuu…"

"What?!" she smacked him with her free hand. "Why would I give _you_ free run of the kingdom?" She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Well why would I stay married to you?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "After all, I'm the kingdom's most desirable man, and it would be a shame to rob all the women of such a rare specimen of perfection."

Yuki snorted, rolling her eyes. "Oh yes, what a travesty." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I'm afraid your opinion has… _zero_ value in this case, Your Majesty. As gorgeous as I might be, I believe your taste in men happens to be a bit lighter complexioned and taller, if I'm not mistaken."

"How would you know what I like?" she demanded, feeling her cheeks heating. She was aware that Hanabusa was teasing her, but all the same the memory of her lips alighting against Zero's cheek flashed suddenly through her mind. Her blush deepened with embarrassment. She should never have allowed herself to do such a thing. But Zero was her friend... She had only meant the kiss in a familiar sense... At least, that was what she told herself.

The pair had wandered away from the throng of nobles and to the far end of the garden which was filled with sculpted bushes and fruit trees. The bushes screened them from view, and the trees provided some shade from the afternoon sun, although the temperature was pleasant. Yuki dropped her knight's arm, safely liberated from the company of her cousin and the observant eyes of the garden walkers.

"Did you wish to discuss something with me, My Lady?" Hanabusa inquired, changing the subject as soon as they had taken refuge behind a tree fashioned in the shape of an elephant.

"Not really," she admitted, only a hint of an apology coloring her voice.

"You can't evade this forever. You can continue running from it, but if you don't do anything, you'll simply end up overwhelmed by something happening."

His words resounded within her. She knew he was right, but her chest constricted painfully every time she tried to find a solution. No matter where she turned or what she did, somehow she felt unsettled. Deep within her, she knew that there was something else she desired, some other alternative than what was presented to her. Yet, upon trying to discover it, she always ended up back at the start, confused and lost. Her thoughts had tangled together in a web so complicated that they had created an impossible maze.

"I can't put it off for much longer, anyway." She fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve, pulling at a loose thread until it started to unravel. "Sorry for stealing you away from your ladyloves." Abruptly, she wanted to see Zero. She felt restless, and talking to him always calmed her down.

"They'll wait there for me for a while yet," the young lord replied with confidence.

"Don't let it go to your head." She wondered how much further his ego could inflate before he exploded from the accumulated pressure of it. "I'll see you later, then."

She waved, toes already pointing in the direction of the barracks. As she started to leave, however, Hanabusa took her by the elbow, leaning close to her ear to whisper, "If you're off to see Zero, I think it's wise to start decreasing the frequency of such visits, especially in the future once you're betrothed to another." He released her with a mirthless smirk, blue eyes shadowed.

The advice stabbed through her like a lance, injecting poison directly into her heart. For a moment, she did not see him as her friend and knight Hanabusa Aidou, but as a lord and politician, just like her cousin. Her fingers clenched into a fist, staring at a person who suddenly seemed far more mature and wise than she had known previously. He, too, implicitly understood the courtly world which was filled with manipulations and empty gestures…and restrictions… Her stomach knotted. She might be a princess by blood, but she had never before felt so alienated from her environment.

"Unless you intend to refuse Lord Kuran, that is," he added. "Bye, then." That said, he turned heel and walked back through the gardens.

Refuse? She had considered it many times, but was refusal truly an option? Kaname Kuran was the most powerful noble in the kingdoms, second only to the king, and moreover a Kuran. She knew she couldn't do better, politically and financially speaking. Nevertheless, faced with the reality of the situation, she felt only a terrible vacancy gnawing its way inside of her like a rotting cavity.

Did she have to do this? Why was it that she had to marry at all, when all she really wanted was to continue living freely, to one day fall in love willfully, voluntarily…? To her, both a princess and a pawn of the court, love was like an elusive phantom whose presence passed through her core, intangible and unobtainable. She could feel its absence vibrate there, and she pressed a hand against her chest in an attempt to capture it. Yet, when she tried to imagine its face all she could see was a blur of static fog.

" _...your taste in men happens to be a bit lighter complexioned and taller, if I'm not mistaken…"_

Hanabusa's sentence resounded swiftly through her head, and immediately her other guard invaded her mind, silver hair and violet eyes radiating with gravitational force. Briefly, she felt her heart speed, and then just as suddenly she dismissed it. The type of love she felt for Zero was a gradient of intricate shades of color that she had repressed long ago deep within herself. And even if by some chance there was even a shred of possibility that they might have been able to be together, impossible though it seemed to her, it would only become a source of torment for them both, bound as they were by duty and honor.

Without realizing, Yuki had wandered across the castle grounds and into the barracks in a daze. She took a little breath, attempting to ground herself in reality. She didn't want Zero to see her depressed now, while he was still recovering from his wounds. With a mental shake, she pushed open the door without even a knock. Old habits died hard, and she had gotten accustomed to barging in on him unannounced. It pained her to think that once she was married, to Kaname or whoever else, she could not do so again without severe repercussions.

Zero was lying in bed, reading a worn book with an indecipherable maroon cover. The pages were thick and yellow, hinting at the age of the slim volume. Yuki perched herself at the edge of the bed beside him, and he immediately closed the book, setting it beside him and giving her his attention. He seemed unfazed by her intrusion.

"How are you feeling?" She looked down at his hand, noting happily that he wore a much thinner bandage now.

"Fine." He flexed his fingers to demonstrate. "My other arm might not even have a scar…"

"That's good." She smiled at him in relief. Unease churned within her. She wanted to rely on him, but why was she there? What could Zero actually do to help her with the situation? He was not in any place of power or influence that could affect the outcome. After a moment she ventured, "I had tea with Kaname today."

Zero said nothing, eyes fixed on a point above his head on the ceiling. She winced inwardly. She hadn't meant to come here and babble about tea in the gardens. It seemed so pointless to her now, saying it aloud and underscoring the vast differences between them. Here in his cramped quarters, bare except for his bed, chest of drawers, and the empty fireplace, the difference in status between them was thrown in her face cruelly.

"He asked me again, and I know I've had enough time and I know I should say yes, but… I don't want to live that way. I don't want to live a lie with a complete stranger, but what choice do I really have? If I don't, I'd just have to do the same with another stranger..." She frowned.

The bed shifted as Zero sat up beside her. The weight of his palm rested against her shoulder then, silently transmitting the comfort she had craved. She trembled, riveted in place by the childish desire to wrap her arms around him and draw strength from his warmth.

"It'll be alright," he said in a low voice, and she drew in a slow breath, attempting to push her despondency away. "Whatever happens, I'll stand beside you."

In a different world where royalty and political marriages didn't exist, how might things have changed? Would she be truly free to follow her heart, the way her adopted father wished for her to do? To fall in love without the preoccupation of status or obligation? Would her days be filled with freedom and laughter instead of the machinations of the court? If such a world did exist, how would her relationship with Zero be?

Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't afford to think that way, even if the thought was fleeting. Instead she turned to Zero and pulled a sour face, "Too bad I'm a princess and have to marry nobility, right?"

For a moment, an unfamiliar expression ghosted across the knight's face. Rather than voice this thought, however, he only gave her shoulder a squeeze before he removed his hand. The silence stretched between them, twining slick tendrils around her limbs and throat. Melancholy clamped down on her heart, desiring something unspoken, something dangerous that whispered within her, but she shook it off. The only direction in which she could move was forward.

Feeling abruptly pained, she swallowed and asked, "Do you mind if I stay here for a little while...?"

Dark violet eyes blinked at her. He shook his head.

"Thank you." The agitation that had begun crawling through her again receded. She stood and walked to the end of his bed, opening a chest that contained his belongings and withdrawing a worn volume of short histories from the realm that she had given him long ago. Then she settled back onto the edge of the bed beside him, content to remain there for as long as she was able. So often as a child she had done the same, avoiding all of her responsibilities here in Zero's room and sharing the companionable silence with him absorbed in the pages of a book.

No matter how much time passed, Yuki had a feeling that her favorite place in the world would always be right here, safe and comfortable by Zero's side.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks to everyone for the awesome reviews! It was fun to see which knight you guys thought was best- I think Zero definitely wins, though it seems that everyone agrees Aidou/Ichijou would be better than Kain because they're smarter and faster haha. So my question for y'all this time is- do you think Yuki will accept Kaname's proposal? Dun dun DUNNNNN!


	9. 9 Kaien

**KAIEN**

"So," Takumi, head of agriculture, scratched the bald spot on his speckled head, squinting at the loose papers before him, "What's first on our agenda today?"

There was a rustling of paper as the council members organized the documents before them, followed by the creaking of chairs as a few men scooted up or shifted in place. Kaien carefully surveyed the men sitting around the long table in the council chamber, where they had been gathered for a council meeting to discuss matters of the state. In general, council meetings took place every fourth day; this one was no exception to that rule. At the opposing end of the table sat Hanshiro, head of the council, rubbing a temple of his wrinkled forehead. On either side of the council head sat the councilors of war and finance, and from there the list ranged on. All were from powerful families, none were women. Such was how it had been for many years, and Kaien had never moved to change it. Perhaps he should have. The government had grown stale, stagnant, and such a thing was dangerous for any group that held power.

"I believe the crops," Mitsu, head of medicine, supplied helpfully, scanning the first sheet of paper with a keen eye.

"We mustn't forget to touch on the new irrigation laws we passed last month. Some of the farmers are slow to implement them," Azama, head of the treasury, added, scowling. "I know it takes time for large farmers to fully complete the process, but some haven't even begun and the summer begins soon enough."

"Also the Fujimuras on the border of the Dawn Plains have started to infringe on Shirabuki lands. We must send someone to deal with them shortly," Gaius, head of war, interjected.

"Yes, yes but I believe that we are getting side-tracked. We should start at the beginning, with the crops," Hanshiro cut short the bickering impatiently.

"How are the numbers this year?" Kaien asked, and immediately the meeting was set on track.

Although necessary, Kaien had no love for politics. He understood that it was his duty to attend these meetings, and beyond that, to be king required that he take interest in such meetings. However, he had never wished to rule. The burden had fallen upon him at a young age, and it was one that he could not wait to be rid of. When Yuki was ready, the throne would pass to her, and Kaien would be free to devote more time to her and to his own pastimes.

Kaien readjusted his chair, sitting rigidly and idly rubbing his left wrist to ease the stiffness he felt there. Although Yuki had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, in his mind Kaien would forever see her as his precious daughter, forever small and innocent and young. He had never had children of his own, a choice that he had made long ago, and Yuki had filled any void in his life that may have resulted with her sunbeam smile and chocolate eyes. She was the apple of his eye, and he would protect her, no matter the cost.

In fact, it seemed only yesterday that Yuki was a toddler of four or five years old and had successfully thrown every item from her closet and dresser into a pile on the floor...

 _Kaien stood in the doorway of Yuki's bedroom, shocked to see the enormous quantity of clothing scattered on the floor. In the center of the chaos sat Yuki, a pair of shorts on her head and a mismatched assortment of shirt, dress, socks, pants, and even a scarf adorning the rest of her body._

 _When she at last noticed his arrival, Yuki turned, waving to him excitedly and exclaiming, "Look, look at my pretty clothes!"_

 _Unable to contain himself, in part because of the pale yellow shorts atop her head that waggled to accentuate every word, Kaien laughed. The maids began to giggle too, and one managed to stammer out, "My Lord, she insisted to dress herself today." This sent him into another fit of laughter that shot pain through his sides._

 _The king straightened at last, wiping away tears as he stepped closer to the now-indignant toddler. "Yuki, is there any reason you needed to remove all the garments from your closet in order to get dressed today?_

 _"Yes." She jutted out her chin, then added, "I couldn't see them."_

Coming back to the meeting, Kaien hid his sudden smile behind one hand, clearing his throat as inconspicuously as possible.

"My Lord, is something wrong?" Mitsu inquired, looking at him with concern.

"Oh no, not at all. A slight cough, nothing more," he lied, quashing the chuckle that threatened to break loose before it offended the entire council.

"As I was saying," Azama said, evidently in continuation to something he had said before, "if the crops yield as high of numbers as they did last year, we will be more than sufficiently provisioned to last the winter."

"Indeed, but the Shirabukis and the Kurans in Sakaido are never consistent with the crops they send us." Gaius frowned.

"However, we do have a surplus from last year," Takumi pointed out. "Moreover, the Kurans in Soshiyu have promised to be more than generous this year..."

"Speaking of the Kurans," Azama directed a pointed look at Kaien, "I must say, a match between Lord Kaname and Princess Yuki would truly be most advantageous to all parties." There was a murmur of agreement around the table.

Sighing, the king mentally tallied the loyalties of each of the men around the table. Kaien was sure he knew where each of them sided. Most, he assumed, would wish for the princess to wed her cousin. While there was no apparent negative outcome to this decision, he still worried for his daughter's happiness. Lately, it seemed Yuki had been growing less fond of the hours she spent in Kaname's company. As her father, adopted or no, it was his duty to take into consideration her feelings, something the council most definitely would not do. He wanted to gauge the opinions of the council members, though, and make sure that they understood the decision was ultimately Yuki's.

"An alliance with House Aidou would also be beneficial, of course," Gaius, head of war, commented, the corner of his mouth twitching as it always did when he spoke; a consequence of his age. "Forgive me if you are not looking for advice, my Lord, but Lord Kaname holds lands that border ours and he wields land and power enough to rival the Aidous. Moreover, it is he who bears the Kuran name. Until a son is born to carry on the Kuran legacy, I would suggest that we cannot afford to let the throne be passed on to anyone who is not a Kuran."

Kaien smiled slightly, thinking of his ward Hanabusa. The young Aidou lord had lived here in Ashgate for years now, since he had come of age and begun his training as a knight in earnest. Kaien considered him if not a son, then at least a nephew. Although the choice was ultimately Yuki's, Kaien knew that Hanabusa would care for her deeply and genuinely if they were wed. He could not say the same for Kaname.

Nevertheless, Kaien believed that Yuki favored a third match, one that would never gain approval in the council as it stood now, although the choice was not theirs to make. That would be a possible matrimony to her other knight, Zero Kiryuu. Although his daughter had never uttered a word to indicate romantic feelings for her knight, Kaien believed them to be present. At least, there were the seeds of romance, even if they hadn't bloomed as of yet. And he was certain that the knight loved Yuki utterly and completely.

The moments passed, falling heavily into his lap like heavy barrels. Each one resounded through his bones, like the ticking of a clock. The council did not know his motives, did not understand his heart. They were men who understood gold and authority, generally their own. Nevertheless, he wanted their support and to know their minds.

"My Lords," he said finally, in a quiet tone that immediately grabbed their attention. "I respect your opinions and your reasons for such. I also have given great thought to this matter and I agree that both matches are extremely advantageous, although perhaps my nephew's is more so. However, Yuki is my daughter, and she is very young. Despite being a princess, I fear I have...sheltered her a bit too much..."

He paused, noting a few slow nods around the table. Taking a breath, he continued, "She has never before had to consider a husband. For this reason, I'm hoping that some time will help her acclimate to the situation. As you know, Lord Kaname is courting her openly now. I do not wish to rush her, because if she feels the decision is her own, she will be more content with it. I value her happiness more than anything, and I do want to factor in her preference for a husband as well."

That said, he leaned back in the seat now, watching the reactions of the members of the council. Most seemed to be receptive to this idea. A few, Hanshiro included, resisted his words in their faces and expressions, although they could say nothing. As powerful as these men might be, Kaien was the king, and his decisions were effectively law.

Hanshiro rapped the table with his knuckles, a sign of obvious irritation. "Your Grace, forgive me, but I must ask the council to return to the matters at hand. There is much to discuss today."

Kaien nodded, relieved that at least Hanshiro did not wish to linger on the topic. The man rarely agreed with him, but he was a very efficient man and well suited for the position of head of the council. And, as long as he respected the king's decisions, there was no conflict between them.

"Yes," Mitsu nodded, his long, bushy white beard touching into his lap as he did so, "though I do hope to be hearing wedding bells before too long! As an old man, I wish to see our princess wedded before I grow blind and deaf."

Hanshiro leveled a withering gaze at the other council member. "The crops?"

"I mentioned this already, but we still have a surplus from last year," Takumi immediately took up the loose threads of the previous conversation, and the council meeting returned to agriculture. Kaien was at least grateful that the meetings rarely ever strayed off topic. The men gathered around the table did not wish to stay any longer than he did. They were generally able to finish the meetings within a few hours.

Despite the fact that the meeting had only begun, Kaien felt tired. Very tired, and increasingly old with every passing day. Kaien was still a young man, but lately he felt as though age was creeping through his bones at an accelerated rate. The nights always passed by so quickly, as if he hadn't slept at all. Perhaps a week or two at the summer house with Yuki would not be a bad idea after all.

With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the meeting. He would have to arrange a brief vacation with his daughter in the coming weeks. Already he was excited at the prospect. Soon, he would leave the stifling walls of the palace behind for sun and the placid waters of the lake not far from their lodging.

Unconsciously, the corner of his mouth lifted up into a smile.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, a short and maybe unsatisfying chapter for now? But! I'm flying back to Spain on Monday so I will be uploading next week's chapter on **SATURDAY.** This means the next chapter will be coming in a few days, but there will be no chapter coming out next week. At that point I should hopefully be set up in Spain and can stay on track with publishing the chapters, but if I miss a week I will be sure to upload TWO chapters the following week.

As I mentioned before, all or nearly all of the VK characters will be appearing in this FF, some sooner or later than others. One in particular is coming up VERY SOON hehe. So the question of the week is: which 2 characters are you most looking forward to seeing?

That's all for now! Toodles!


	10. 10 Yuki

**YUKI**

Twilight sank its claws into the sky, darkening the vivid blue to a pale lavender that would soon turn to indigo. Yuki paused in the corridor, staring out the window in troubled contemplation. The hour of her private dinner with Kaname had already arrived, and despite having already declined one marriage proposal earlier that day, she couldn't shake the dread that had planted itself in her veins. What if he was bold enough to ask her again? Her fingers curled into a fist. No, she couldn't imagine him being that impertinent. Her cousin was suave, an aristocrat. Surely he wouldn't repeat his question within 24 hours.

"On your way to the frying pan?" a familiar voice broke through the haze that had settled over her. She turned, surprised to see Hanabusa approach her from down the hall. "I mean, fried delicious dinner that has been prepared for you?" Hanabusa grinned, correcting himself with a wink.

"Unfortunately." Her mouth twisted into a grimace.

"I seem to remember you being quite excited to hear of his visit."

"I was…" She shook her head mournfully. "He's thrust so much on me at once, and it's all happening so fast… I'm still not sure what to do."

"To hear the Lady Ruka talk about him, he's nothing short of absolute perfection, so it shouldn't really be a hard decision to make." He made a face. "I was stuck with her this morning. I don't think it would have been so wrong to slip a little alcohol into her tea…"

Yuki giggled, imagining the scene all too well. Her amusement didn't last long, however, as the weight of her thoughts once more pressed down against her. "He certainly hasn't made a single mistake. I have no reason to fault him."

"But…?" The knight raised an eyebrow at her, sensing the unspoken finish to her sentence.

She took a breath. "Despite his actions, which have been nothing but polite and relatively patient, there is something within me that is convinced of his insincerity. Yet, he presents the same face, the same charm, to everyone here. So perhaps I'm the one mistaken and he is a truly genuine and considerate person."

"A lie is still a lie, even if everyone believes it, My Lady," Hanabusa murmured, eyes veiled.

"What is your opinion of him, then?" she asked, keeping her voice to the barest of whispers lest someone hear.

The blond knight smirked. "I fear that's a question I'm not capable of answering without bias. Never forget that the Aidous are the Kurans' rivals for the crown."

"You don't want to marry me." She spoke the words with conviction. Despite all of his family's ambition, she was sure that he did not wish to become her husband.

He gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't be so sure, Princess. The court is nothing more than a fish tank filled with various breeds of shark."

"You don't, though."

The lord looked at her then, meeting her eyes seriously. He said nothing, but she already knew that his silence was as much of an affirmation as she was going to get at the moment. He was bound by honor to his family, as well, and could not risk denying the Aidou claim to the throne even in private conversation. All the same, she hadn't been friends with this man for so many years for nothing. She understood him at least that well.

"Good luck," he told her, patting her shoulder, signaling the end of their chat.

She winced out a smile, inhaling slowly and taking her first step down the hall. Behind her, she could hear Hanabusa's footsteps fading, leaving her alone. As her legs propelled her towards the door, towards the small dining chamber in which she and Kaname would be sharing a meal, she felt as though she was walking of her own volition towards her execution. The thought brought her a passing moment's respite of morbid amusement.

Yuki knew she could not keep her cousin waiting, however, and so she smoothed the folds of her airy pink gown and signaled for the guards standing to either side of the threshold to open the door without hesitation. As soon as she had stepped into the room, Kaname stood, a beautiful smile gracing his equally beautiful lips. Her own mouth responded robotically. All affection, all happiness she had felt previously for the lord had vanished now. In its place, she felt only a strangling suppression of duty and false pretenses.

Rather than face him immediately, the princess took a moment to appreciate the tasteful aesthetic of the chamber. The balcony doors had been thrown open, and the silken curtains trimmed in crimson fluttered in the refreshing breeze that passed through them. There was little decoration in the room itself, apart from the paintings of various important historical figures that watched passively from the walls. Although she and Kaname were making use of the space tonight, it was normally reserved for private meetings between council members. However, the servants had done a wonderful job of setting the atmosphere by adorning the table with roses and a handsome tablecloth, also trimmed in crimson, all lit by the soft flames of slender brass candles.

"Please, sit," her cousin gestured to the chair on the opposing side, which a servant proffered to her with a slight bow. She complied with another forced smile, to which Kaname said, "I'm pleased that we are able to meet like this."

"And I, as well," she murmured mechanically.

The meal had only just begun, but already she had switched to programmed answers, letting the lord steer the conversation where he wished. She kept her comments brief, though flowery, and focused the majority of her attention to the food, which was superb. The master chef of the palace had organized and arranged the entire event, starting with a light salad of tomato and egg and working its way towards the main course, which she knew would be roast pheasant recently caught today during the hunt some of the lords had engaged in earlier. Despite the exquisite flavor of the food, Yuki found that she had entirely lost her appetite.

"You seem troubled," her cousin's words jolted her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry for any undue distress I've caused you. Please, do not fault me for my affections towards you."

"Oh, no, I don't… I couldn't…" she fumbled for a reply.

"I'm convinced that you must hate me," Kaname let one side of his mouth pull up in a woeful smile.

"I would never hate you," she replied quickly, alarmed. It was true that she didn't hate him. She felt pressured, panicked to make a choice, but hatred had never crossed her mind. Or was this merely a manipulation? Her head was spinning.

"Then prove it to me." He reached across the table to take her hand gently. "Let us promise to wed, so that I can be sure of our mutual affections. We needn't marry immediately. I only want to return home with my heart at ease, to know that you won't slip away from me when I've only just found you."

Her heart began to flutter franticly, desperately demanding release from her chest. She had hoped that the conversation would not once more turn to this; at the very least she hadn't expected it so soon. The room was spinning. If she married this man, would her every day become a never-ending theatrical performance, a dance to which she could scarcely invent steps before the next was necessitated?

"Dearest cousin," she began carefully, examining her plate as she gathered her thoughts before returning her gaze to his face, "If I had to give an answer now, being honest with myself, I would have to decline… I'm afraid I'm still nothing more than a child. The custom is longer courtship, is it not? In time, we could visit one another, gradually learn more about each other, and then… Then I could reach a decision that would give me peace and satisfaction. I don't want to be impulsive in such an important matter. There is not only the kingdom to think of, but also myself." She knew she was being selfish. She knew that, yet she couldn't stop herself. The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was uttering them, echoed with a purple flash across her mind like a burst of lightning. If they waited, even just a short time longer, she would be able to spend more tranquil days with her knights… She would be able to breathe freely, even if only for a while longer…

The brown eyes across the table abruptly plummeted to black. A cold smile touched his lips, though the mask of gentility remained intact. "Princess, I'm afraid I do not have the luxury of time that you speak of. I didn't want to put more undue pressure on you, but I'm not growing younger, and the nobles in my own court are becoming…anxious. They desire for me to choose a bride very soon. I had not put much consideration into marrying you before I came, I'll admit, but after meeting you… Truly, you are the only woman I wish to call wife. I beg of you, please grant me this so that I may return home in happiness instead of grief…"

"My Lord, if you can but delay them a while longer…" She swallowed, fighting to keep her hand from shaking within his grasp.

"I cannot. I need your answer now, or it will be too late." His tone brooked no compromise.

Had the façade cracked, or was she merely afraid? Beneath his stunning features lurked a shadow, swimming there beneath his skin like a patch of rot. Her other hand clenched into a fist in her lap. How could she trade the comfort and bliss of her current life, of her close friendship with her knights, for a lie? If she married her cousin, her life would become nothing more than a farce, her love and her every smile pretended. No, she couldn't do it, she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Suddenly confident, she removed her hand from his grip. "Then, with all due respect, I must decline your offer. I'm terribly sorry. I hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me for this. And if you manage to find a way out of your situation, then perhaps we can discuss this matter again in the future." She permitted him a small smile. Before awaiting his reply, she stood and said without a trace of regret, "I'm terribly sorry. Please excuse me. I shall leave you for now so that you might have a moment to yourself."

With that, she exited the chamber without a backward glance. For the first time in days she was able to draw breath without feeling that crushing pressure sink into her bones.

* * *

 **A/N:** Woop! Technically it's still Saturday so HA! I'm not late on the upload! So that's a good note to end on for now! The next chapter will be out the week after next. So, since I can publish the chapter any day of the week really, I just wanted to ask, what day do y'all prefer? Is there a day better than Wednesday? Just let me know and if the majority prefers a different day of the week or to move the chapter releases to a weekend, let me know! Personally, I prefer a weekday since I will probably be very busy on the weekends and I'm afraid to miss a chapter, but seriously I want to do what you guys prefer so be honest and let me know!

Also! Since you guys have to wait a while for the next chapter, I made a little video trailer type deal for the fic. It doesn't show all of the characters or even all of them equally and obviously their clothes and stuff isn't right but I hope you enjoy it anyway! You guys can find it on my YT channel earthlyxangelx2 or by adding /watch?v=WR2GFBRAAjU after the Youtube link...since I can't link anything on FF, which sucks! See y'all soon!


	11. 11 Kaien

**KAIEN**

Kaien massaged the fingers of his left hand absently, staring at the gardens below him and watching as midnight lovers meandered through the winding paths lit at this hour by the yellow glow of paper lanterns. The night was tranquil, filled with soft music and an undertone of perfume that drifted upwards from the gardens. He had retired early today to drink some tea in privacy and to think. There was much to think about lately, more than ever after the arrival of the young lords Kaname and Takuma. The latter's presence at the palace still deeply troubled him. Although he would have preferred to take time to rest rather than deal with the political puzzle the two nobles presented, such responsibilities could not be evaded. They had been passed down to him after his brother's death.

He was painfully aware that he was unworthy of the title he bore and to help Yuki with her decision. He, who had won the crown by unpredictable circumstances… Before that time, he had only wanted to live peacefully, apart from the courts and the subterfuge. Despite his wishes, his oldest brother was exiled to the furthest corners of the Touma kingdom, although since then he had won himself land and created his own kingdom, and Haruka was dead, murdered by insatiable jealousy and rage. Haruka had been like himself, a man who valued simple things and strove to find personal happiness because he had believed that the best kind of ruler was one who was content first with himself, because then his attention could be given more fully to the people and their needs. However, the pursuit of this peace, of love, had ended in tragedy, not once in the Kuran family history, but twice…

Rubbing his temple, the king leaned against the rail of the balcony, feeling weary to his bones. He questioned himself at every turn. He had left the critical decision of Yuki's husband to her, but had that been the right way? There was still much he had to tell her about her past, about his own, about the devastated Kiryuu clan. He had brought that child into his home, but if someone other than himself understood the history of that forgotten bloodline, what would be the result? Would it be more of a danger to inform Yuki, or to hide such secrets from her for a while longer?

He turned his gaze up towards the sky, now veined with a thousand silver stars. There would be time for everything. At the present, the biggest concern would be placating his nephew, who was still brooding after Yuki had rejected his marriage proposal. Kaname was sure to take her negative response as an affront, but Kaien hoped that any tensions could be resolved and smoothed over. Of course, to be denied the throne was an offense that could not be easily overlooked; however, he would much rather deal with the aftermath of Yuki's decision to reject the offer than have to watch his daughter live discontentedly beside someone for the sake of pleasing the court.

Kaien smiled to himself. Hadn't he himself made the same decision not to marry for political reasons? He preferred to be alone rather than forced to admit politics into even his most personal space. Besides, the next heir was already decided: Yuki would inherit the throne after him. There wasn't the necessity for him to marry. He was king in name, but wasn't he only the regent ruler in the place of Haruka? At least, he always felt that way in the back of his mind. In terms of his personal relationships, though, his daughter's love was all that he needed. His own short-lived romances had only been a series of complications conducted in secret. For that reason, as well, he wanted Yuki to wed a person that she at least cared for, so that she could feel comfortable in her relationship both publicly and privately.

Without warning something latched in his chest, sending a spasm of crippling pain shooting down his left arm and through his torso. He gasped, stumbling, and clung to the bannister for support, knees weakening. He opened his mouth to shout for a guard, for a doctor, but another spasm ripped through him, and he fell to his knees. The night was tightening its grip around him, squeezing his lungs and his throat with cruel efficiency. He coughed, choking on the air that was lodged within him. Gradually, as the pain was increasing, the world was dimming. The stars were setting against a horizon far above his head.

 _Haruka grinned at him, gesturing for him to come forward. In Juri's arms was their newborn child, wide chocolate eyes gazing upwards at her mother in adoration. As he approached, those eyes turned to fix on him and a smile rose to the surface of her face, precious and full of sunshine, identical to that of her mother. Despite never having met this child, despite the weakness of their kinship, he could feel himself moved to instantly love her. There was something about this tiny child that inspired the parental instincts he had never experienced before, something that drove him to love her completely…_

His face hit the cold stone floor, jarring his vision red. Red, like blood, like the Kuran banner. He hoped that not another drop of Kuran blood would be spilled after all the travesty that had been brought upon them. Or perhaps it was the Kuran curse. Out of all the noble houses, wasn't theirs the one with the bloodiest past? Never again, he never wanted Yuki to know such grief or misfortune.

 _"Kaien, sweetheart, you should be more careful. Let me see that cut," the sweet, familiar voice resounded close to his ear._

 _He saw her through the veil of mist and time, a vague outline in his memory that wavered and frayed even as he watched. The light glinting from her hair, the sparking lavender flames of her eyes. She smiled at him now, reaching for him. In his mind, he was there with her again, a child of no more than 4 or 5, happy, content, peaceful…_

 _The mist swept away her shadow, obscuring her features, melding everything together into an indiscernible splash of color. He called for her to come back, for his lost childhood to return to him once again, but his voice shattered against the nothingness, and suddenly the jarring chill of stone was once again pressing against his cheek and he remembered everything again, remembered his responsibilities, remembered his beloved child…_

A convulsion wracked his frame. Already, the agony that lit his flesh on fire seemed distant. Had he called for the medics? A grey fog was descending over his vision. A finger twitched. His own? Empty noise buzzed in his ears. He would tell everything to Yuki tomorrow. She deserved to hear it. Yuki… Yuki was…

The thought fell away into an infinity of total darkness.

* * *

 **A/N:** Short and most definitely NOT sweet. Dun dun...DUN! What happened? Find out next week! -EVIL-

Also hey hey I'm back! In ESPAINNNN!


	12. 12 Maria

**MARIA**

Maria Hio bit her lip nervously. Her fingers unconsciously moved up to toy with her straight platinum hair which had fallen over her left shoulder. Twisting the strands back and forth, she glanced up at her older cousin cautiously, afraid to ask the question which seemed to continuously hover across her lips like a storm cloud. She had uttered it before, but today she wasn't sure if she had the courage. The presence of this woman drowned her like dawn drowned starlight, painting over her with shades of color so vibrant that she was rendered invisible.

Her cousin Shizuka Hio sighed, a very slight release of air like the breath of a flower. The sound caused Maria to tense, however, instantly on edge. Shizuka was losing patience with the matter, losing patience with her. She hurriedly lowered her gaze to the floor meekly. She did not want to lose her cousin's affections today. Shizuka would not hesitate to make her anger felt if the younger noble irked her. Nevertheless, when it so profoundly affected her happiness and her heart, Maria could not find it within herself to simply let go.

"I told you, Maria, that I require Ichiru." Shizuka fixed her with her piercing, pale eyes, though her tone was serene. "He is among the last of the Kiryuu bloodline still alive. I'm sorry."

Maria withdrew into herself for a moment, thoughts jumbling hopelessly. She didn't understand her cousin's motivations. Why should she want to keep Ichiru reserved for herself like property? Shizuka was over a decade older than him, and married before besides. It was true that Maria was frail and sickly, that her body promised her a short life, but despite her weakness, she was still alive. She could still feel her heart beating in her chest. It beat for him…even though all he saw was her cousin.

Sensing her emotions, Shizuka turned to her, placing on the vanity the pearl-encrusted, antique comb that she had been using to brush her long, luxurious hair. "Maria, I have been cultivating Ichiru for years to suit my purpose. I cannot afford to spare the time necessary to search for another Kiryuu, even if this is what you wish in your heart."

Feeling very small, yet unable to lose her determination, she murmured, "I don't understand what purpose, though…"

The older noble lady favored her with a mysterious smile. "All will be revealed in time. However, I must ask you to leave me now. I'll send a servant to your quarters later to collect you for the evening meal."

The remainder of the girl's energy seeped from her frame. Her shoulders drooped and the last vestiges of animation dulled in her eyes. She wondered why she must be tormented by this terrible feeling of love for Ichiru Kiryuu. She knew that she should leave them in peace, but she also knew as Ichiru did not know that her cousin held no true love for him, and for years now she had mustered all of her courage to beg her cousin to release him from whatever plan she had in mind for him, to no avail. If only Ichiru wanted to be free from Shizuka as well…but his infatuation with the noble lady could not be swayed.

No matter what the cost, however, she wanted to win Ichiru's freedom for him. Something dark and calculated lurked beneath the grace and poise that the lady Shizuka displayed, something that warned of a hidden threat. Maria loved her cousin deeply, and respected her above all others, yet she also feared her, and feared what she might do to Ichiru.

Unconsciously, Maria's feet led her through the chill, empty halls to the library. She knew she would find him there, undoubtedly reading during the hours in which he could not be by Shizuka's side. She should find something to do, but she wanted to see him. She constantly found herself longing for a glimpse of his face, if only for a moment, and to hear his voice. So once again she found herself here, searching for him.

Ichiru was seated in the small library as she had expected, a pile of books beside him at the desk. The two of them had spent a lot of time in this room together, pouring over the volumes in frustrated attempts to master their contents. The focus of their studies had always been different, but their motivations had been the same. She had been studying here with her cousin as the ward and heir, at least until Shizuka gave birth to a true heir to the realm, while Ichiru was researching his own bloodline and the curious capabilities he possessed, but both of them had devoted themselves to their studies to better serve her cousin. Everyday Ichiru could be found here for several hours, and today was no exception.

"What are you doing?" Maria asked curiously, leaning to peer over the silver-haired man's shoulder.

"Nothing," Ichiru replied in his usual soft tone of voice. "Studying again."

"What are you studying today?" she queried, scanning over his notes but not really focusing enough on them to make any sense out of what she read.

"Astrology. Lady Shizuka has always preferred the night sky, so it's good for me to know more about it, too."

She glanced away, annoyed and dispirited with the mention of the noble lady. She hated the constant reminders that his every action was decided with Shizuka in mind. It had not always been this way, but more and more with every passing day it seemed that he lost himself to her cousin. Maria could still remember that there had been a time, short though it may have been, when it had not been this way. When he had thought of her, if only briefly and inconsequentially…

 _Laying in the darkness of her room and trying to sleep, she was momentarily startled when the door creaked open and a small shadow filled the frame. Maria lay very still, pretending to be asleep. She didn't know who it was, but Shizuka often sent people to check on her and make sure she was in bed at a proper hour. With her physical condition, her cousin was always concerned about her health._

 _After a moment, the shadow detached itself from the door and entered the room, crossing over to the bed as quiet as a mouse. Maria kept her eyes shut and ensured that her breathing was even. She recognized the figure as Ichiru's, but if Shizuka had sent him to report whether the girl was sleeping, she wouldn't find cause to scold her. To her surprise, however, she felt Ichiru's small, cold hand, not much larger than her own, press something against her palm._

 _"You've been worrying about your studies, haven't you?" he asked, ignoring her attempt to feign sleep. She continued the game, however, not wanting to lose, and pretended not to hear._

 _"This is a good luck charm," he explained. "Hold it tight in your hand and focus on it for a few moments before the exam tomorrow and it'll help you concentrate and do well."_

 _Not to be defeated, but curious nonetheless, she peeked at the silver-haired boy from beneath her eyelashes. In the darkness, she could see little, but the faint light cast from the threshold of the room revealed a gentle expression on his face._

 _When she didn't respond or make a movement, Ichiru merely stated, "Good luck," and left as quietly as he had entered, shutting the door behind him with a muted click._

 _After a moment, Maria swiped a match from her bedside table, lighting the scented candle that resided there. She peered into her hand curiously to see a small, clear crystal that winked at her in the flame of the candle. She pressed it into her hand, focusing all her energy and attention into the stone as she'd been instructed, wishing to pass this test and please her cousin. After a moment, she uncurled her fingers and opened her eyes, feeling happy._

 _Staring at the stone, the beginning of a thought niggled in the back of her mind. Perhaps this stone wasn't needed at all… In many ways, she already possessed a much more potent good luck charm. After all, she had been blessed since the very first day that Shizuka had brought that frostbitten, feeble boy home._

Reflexively, she touched the slim crystal where it lay hidden, suspended by a delicate platinum chain beneath the layers of her clothes. "Ichiru," she said impulsively, a tremendous weight suddenly encasing her chest in a shell of iron.

"Hmm?" He looked up at her inquisitively.

"You know that Shizuka plans to use you for something potentially terrible, right?" She watched him with veiled eyes, measuring his response minutely.

"Yes." His expression did not change. He closed the book and merely commented, "You've asked me this before."

"Because you should change your mind… You can't know what her plan is for you." She straightened, troubled and vexed by his reply. Switching tactics then, she teased, "Besides, Shizuka is old. I think she's getting a few wrinkles now."

"Isn't that in fashion now?" he quipped. He stood, returning the book to its place on the shelf.

The solemnness returned to her then, shadowing her features. "She's completely controlling you, although I think you're already aware of that..."

"Perhaps," he answered. She couldn't see his face as he paused in front of the bookshelf. "But I will do anything she asks of me."

Despair, anger, and rejection spilled through her veins. She knew he would never look at her the way he looked at her cousin, never desire her or sacrifice everything for even the smallest hint of her love. He was like her, a weak and fragile creature confined within the fortress walls and destined for study because his body could not support his being. However, rather than try to live, he had already decided to sacrifice what remained of his life if need be for Shizuka.

Bitterly she attempted to regain herself. She, too, was a noble lady and heir, at least for the time being. She would show Ichiru that she was not an insignificant woman.

With that in mind, she smirked, a touch cruelly. "And when she's 40 and you're 28? I'm sure it will be a passionate romance even then." Without awaiting a reply, she slipped out of the room like a silver cloud falling below the horizon.

Outside in the hall, her footsteps slowed. Her heart had never before felt so heavy or so tight, a cancerous lump that cut off all her circulation and tangled her insides. Her love seemed so unnecessary and useless, a feeling that served no purpose. What effect had it had on either Ichiru or Shizuka? If her existence vanished, there would be no trace of her left behind, not even the ragged outline of her futile love. And yet, somehow she could not seem to cast it off.

"Ichiru," she whispered into the still emptiness of the hall, "I want to save you."

* * *

 **A/N:** A new set of characters enter the scene! Woot woot! Right when you were dying to know what happened with Kaien...bwahahahaha... -evil manic laughter-

Also btw it IS Monday for me so...


	13. 13 Yuki

**YUKI**

The heavy brass of the funeral bells rang heavily through the air, resonating across the barren landscape of Yuki's mind like the roll of thunder.

 _Gong. Gong. Gong._

The candles flickered at her, seeming to silently snicker as they huddled together in their shadows, watching her as they watched the assembly, without the slightest trace of sympathy. Those laughing tongues of mocking flame licked outwards, dangerously close to the thousands of flowers that wreathed the vestibule. The flowers, too, seemed mocking in their bright colors and smiling faces, whilst all around them the nobles of the court had gathered in grieving black. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her cousin standing at rigid attention, expression unreadable. He, too, was a figure of all black, including his hair and his eyes, like a dark apparition...

 _Gong. Gong. Gong._

She swallowed, her lips raw and chafing against one another. Did any of these people deserve to wear black, she wondered? How many of them had cared for their king, truly? How many would miss his presence, mourn his absence? Only she would, this deeply... Their king was her adopted father...and the only parent she knew.

At last the bells ceased their chant, and she shut her eyes, hoping to drown everything out in the black behind her lids. King Kaien had cared for her for as long as she could remember, bestowing her with all of the affection and tenderness she could have desired. He had been a father to her before he had been a king to these people. After all, hadn´t it been his desire that she choose her own path because he wished for her happiness? How suddenly everything had changed.

The news had come as a shock, with no forewarning. One moment she had been asleep in her bed, sleeping peacefully after having reached her resolution. And the next... She took a breath, forcing her eyes open to watch as the priests continued with the rituals. She heard a woman sobbing somewhere behind her, but she dared not look. If she faltered for even a moment in maintaining the thin veneer of her outer façade, she would break. In that next moment, she had been rudely awoken to be cast into the cold clutches of tragedy. They had told her it was a heart attack, and the medics had confirmed it, saying his heart had been gradually weakening and that this terrible day had been bound to arrive sooner or later. It was true that she had noticed the way his left hand had been paining him, the way his fingers had stiffened... She bit her tongue to keep herself from showing even the faintest hint of emotion. No matter what the doctors said, she had never anticipated this day.

Unwillingly, she turned to stare at the casket that lay upon the long table just behind the altar from which the priests were conducting the funeral. The front half of the black lacquer box had been opened, and within it she could see the face of her adopted father, which had been so full of life and vitality only a day before. That face, now white and cold like frost, like winter, she still remembered smiling. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw his eyelids flicker, and hoped against all logic that he had only been resting, and that at any moment now he would sit up and smile at her again.

Memories flooded through her with a poisonous current. She remembered all the little things. She remembered how he had brushed her hair every evening as a child, shooing off the maids despite their protests. He had always praised her hair, commenting on its softness and color. _"You have hair just like your father,"_ he would say, running his fingers through it as he reached for her mother's white oak brush engraved with the Kuran house crest from generations ago. She had always complained, wriggling in her seat, that he hurt her and pulled her hair, but in actuality she had loved those brief private moments with him.

She remembered the first time he had given her a sip of wine. It had been during the New Year celebration and she was only 9 years old. She had been curious to taste what all the adults were drinking and so, against the better judgment of his entire council, he had given her a taste of his glass. The flavor, she recalled, had been very strong and bitter and she'd made a horrid disgusted face, much to the amusement of the table. Still, she had swallowed it down and promptly sworn to herself never to drink the stuff again. Acquired taste though it might be, she most definitely preferred to drink tea in the afternoons rather than wine.

She could remember, too, all the summers spent at their vacation home, the one they hadn't been able to go to this year. They had always gone horseback riding and to the beach and eaten watermelon in the afternoons when it was hottest. She had always fallen asleep exhausted but smiling because for that short time each year she had felt like everything had fallen perfectly into place, that she had found her own private paradise. More than that, however, she had felt as though she and her adopted father were not themselves at all; instead they were only a normal family enjoying the sun and heat and forgetting all their worries and responsibilities. She wondered if going there would have saved him, if he might still be here beside her.

Hot liquid slid down her face. She blinked, shocked. That single tear had escaped despite her best efforts to contain her emotions. Suddenly, her eyes felt like pools not large enough to hold in her grief. The room seemed to be pressing in on her with iron hands. For some reason, she couldn't quite catch her breath. She knew she must get out before she broke down in front of the congregation.

Blindly, she forced her way through the crowd and towards the doors, ignoring the surprised and offended looks that the other nobles gave her. She knew that she should stay, knew that her duty was to remain steadfast as the primary figure of this funeral ritual. However, it only took one glance around the somber hall at all of the décor, the candles and the flowers and the robed priests, and all of the faces that pretended grief, for her to abandon all obligation and flee from the chamber. Behind her, the priests carried on, murmuring the customary words and leading the people in prayer.

Once outside the room and in the hall, she moved to the window, focusing her gaze outward on the beauty of the evening and trying not to slip further down into the bottomless well of misery that threatened to engulf her. She needed an opportunity to breathe, to refocus her tattered thoughts. But how could she restore her composure when she had lost the only family she had ever known, and when her entire life was spiraling out of control and crumbling as it spun away?

She sensed Zero's presence beside her, and as if to offer him an explanation, said, "I can't go back in there right now. I especially can't stand to see my cousin's face." She couldn't look at him now, not after their conversation that afternoon…

A hand, warm and firm and familiar, settled against her shoulder, and she heard that deep voice offer, "Shall I escort you back to the castle, then?"

"No, thank you." She shook her head immediately. As much as she didn't want to return, she knew that she would have to, sooner rather than later. It would create too much of a stir for the princess to go missing in the middle of the king's funeral.

But, her cousin… She felt Zero's hand fall away, and held onto the windowsill for support. She hadn't told anyone of this, though she knew she would have to. She couldn't face it alone. She was cornered like a hunted animal in a snare. Every move she could think to make would have been the wrong one.

What was she going to do? She pressed her palms harder against the frame of the window, cutting red lines into her skin. She had finally been resolved, finally made the choice to attempt the only solution that she could think of at the moment that did not involve completely sacrificing every opportunity for happiness in the future. Kaname had forced her hand after coming to her earlier today. And now, now once again she was back at the start, caught in a web from which she could see no easy exit.

 _"Yuki, I´m terribly sorry for your loss... If there´s anything at all that I can do, please, you have only to say so and it shall be done, as long as it is within my power," he had offered, expression compassionate._

 _"Thank you. You are very kind." She gave him a tight smile, remaining where she was in front of her window, gaze turned towards the sunlight and the open blue sky instead of towards this man whose presence she did not wish for._

 _"And you, My Lady, are very kind to say so," he replied._

 _"Please," she said suddenly, feeling abruptly sick, "leave me to my grief for a while."_

 _"As you wish," he murmured, bowing. He had paused then, however, instead of leaving, and added, "In light of what has happened, I beg of you once more to consider my offer. I...only wish for your happiness, for your days to be filled with color..."_

 _Her shoulders stiffened. She couldn´t turn away from him more, but she hoped that he could understand the message of her posture. She did not wish to reopen this discussion, least of all now._

 _"I know that what I have to offer you will never be enough," he continued, "but even so, I am yours, from my heart to my body to the last drop of my blood. Your happiness is my own. Therefore, please, Princess, let me strive to make you happy for the rest of your life. It pains me greatly to see you thus..."_

 _"My Lord." Her voice left her brittle, sharp. "You have already heard my response."_

 _The clock ticked from its place on the mantle. Yuki remained at the window, refusing to look at her cousin. Kaname remained as he was, a few feet away, waiting. The room was very empty, despite the lavish furniture it contained. The tea table had been cleared, it was out of season for the fireplace to be lit, the guards remained outside. There was nothing except for them and the acute absence of the king, which burned over her heart like fire._

 _The lord took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. "I tell you this out of love for you. The court cannot function without a king. They are taken aback by this event...for now. Already, I fear, some of them are plotting for power. You must make a decision quickly, before your title is taken from you by the power-hungry among the nobility. You and I both know that the crown should remain in Kuran hands, and that-"_

 _"You haven´t heard the news yet, then," she cut him off. "I´ve already made my decision. My lord husband shall be Hanabusa Aidou. He has already agreed. Our fathers have discussed it in private many times. You can confirm this if you wish." The gaze she at last directed at him was fiery, a challenge. Inside, her heart was pounding and constricted, but outwardly she remained immovable._

 _To her shock, Kaname laughed. He crossed the rest of the space between them and smiled cruelly. "Ah, Princess, I had hoped to do this the polite way, but if you insist..." His eyes flicked to her. "I have already declared our intention to marry with your father´s council. They have given their support, and plans are already being drawn up for the public announcement in three days' time. The people will need good news to make them forget the bad, don´t you agree?"_

 _Indignation flooded through her, and she turned to face him fully now, eyes flashing angrily. "You have no right. I shall make my own marriage announcement and meet with the council. Who´s word is of more value, one lord or the princess of the Nine Kingdoms?"_

 _"You´re right, Princess, what you say is true. However, you know as well as I do that you are powerless at the moment, lacking both your father and a husband. Moreover…fate cannot be altered. Those who oppose it... By some force, those who oppose destiny seem to die, and what you´re proposing is that this young knight fight against the fate of the Kuran family to reign."_

 _As the import of his words sunk in, she felt horror overtake her. What was he saying? What did he mean? Was it possible that Kaname had played a hand in her adopted father´s death? After all, his heart attack had occurred only just after she had officially refused her cousin. Now, was he threatening Hanabusa´s life as well? Her hands trembled, and she felt the blood drain from her face._

 _"Do as you wish, but in three days I will announce our marriage, regardless of your personal desires."_

 _And he had left her there, the sound of the door closing resounding like the sealing of a tomb._

"Are you alright, my Lady?" a new voice broke through her reverie. She turned to see Hanabusa, whose bright blue eyes had clouded over to a near black with concern.

"Yes," she attempted a smile to wave him off. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't…" The smile fell away lifelessly.

His brow drew together, twin lines of gold against his skin, and she saw the corner of his mouth turn down. "I understand, but… You really should return as soon as possible. I'm sure Lord Kaname and the rest of the court will expect to be able to pay their respects to the king and to you."

"Lord Kaname…" The name tasted like blood in her mouth. "I already refused him. But, what he said to me…" She repeated in a hushed voice the conversation that had taken place between them. With each word, those eyebrows drew further and further together, gaze darkening with each syllable. From her other side, she could feel the pressure of the air increasing as Zero tensed.

"I don't know what to do, or what to think…" she trailed off, abruptly weary to her core. "What does he want from me?"

A sardonic smile quirked across the blond knight's lips. "What he wants… It seems obvious, don't you think? He wants you to smile and smell sweet and be his lady love. He wants to hear you recite all your pretty little words the way your instructors taught you. He wants you to love him... and fear him."

She stared at him, unsure of the exact meaning behind his words. Seeing her expression, he leaned over and whispered very softly in her ear, "He wants you to play along with him. …He wants the throne, Princess."

The trapped feeling squeezed in tighter around her. Her pulse was beating erratically at her throat like that of a hunted deer. Was there any escape from this? What options did she have, what was she overlooking? Surely, surely there must be something…some way out…

"Let me think on it for now," Hanabusa said, gesturing for her to take his arm so that he might lead her back to the funeral ceremony. She took it with resignation, and Zero fell into place behind them as they walked back to the looming doors. "This should not become a feud between the Aidous and the Kurans. You've put me in a delicate position, one that could result in a war. And, if what he hints at is true…he is a very dangerous man, indeed. Wait a little bit and play along nicely. We don't want to provoke him unnecessarily. I'll advise you soon."

He pushed open the door, and she reentered the chamber clogged with the nightmarish smell of death. Her eyes automatically darted to her cousin, and for a short moment it seemed like his shadow overcast all of the light and human life in the room.

* * *

 **A/N:** Welp. So that happened.

Also random but I think it's interesting how every author on fanfiction has a slightly different portrayal of the same characters. I don't know why but it's super fascinating to think that we read the same story but got different things out of it...idk...I just think it's cool. O3O

Also also updating on Mondays now! :)


	14. 14 Zero

**ZERO**

The air was very still and held a slight chill despite the rapid approach of the summer heat. Zero stood at attention, hands loose at his sides and ready for any moment in which he might need to draw his sword to defend his princess. Beside him, Hanabusa hummed under his breath and polished the hilt of his own blade, clearly bored. In light of recent events, the two Bloodguard had decided that they themselves should be stationed outside the doors of the princess' bedchamber itself as an extra precaution. At the advice of the high council, from whom they had requested approval for the additional protection of the princess, they wore only light clothing and their weapons in order to give their movements more speed in the event of an assassin. There were guards in full armor at the outer doors as well, but between the king's death and Kaname Kuran's subtle threats, which had not been revealed to the council, both men felt that the added security from none other than themselves would not be amiss. Although, considering the younger knight's current behavior, there wasn't much advantage to having him there.

The silver guard stared blankly at the elaborately patterned tile floor, losing himself to his thoughts. He remembered Yuki's face at the funeral and how she had barely been able to endure the ceremony. Her cousin had offered his condolences, but a smirk had been lurking there beneath the still waters of that smile, ready to pounce. Zero's fingers clenched into a fist, teeth grinding against one another in his mouth. Yuki's cousin was dangerous, and if his hints were true… He held himself in check, though he was seething with rage.

Picturing Yuki's face, he felt an acute pain impale his heart. She should never have to undergo so much tragedy, so much heartache. He wanted to protect her, shield her from the horrible reality into which she had been thrust. Even now he was forced to remain outside the chambers, unable to utter even a word of support or kindness. He could feel his muscles tensing one by one. All he wanted was to be with her right now, but all that was denied to him was exactly that.

"You look miserable." Hanabusa shot him a penetrating look. "Why not just go in there?"

The silver-haired knight continued to stare at the artfully designed floor. "It's against the rules."

"And?" The blond leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "Who's going to see you and tell? Me? I'm the one who suggested it in the first place."

Zero remained silent. He resented the temptation that the young lord was offering him now, because he longed for it dreadfully and would never be in a position to have it.

"So let me get this straight. The girl you love has lost her father, is threatened with a marriage she doesn't want, and is in her room crying her eyes out with no one to comfort her, all alone, and you're just going to stand here and let it happen. Even though she's already suffered enough and had to put on a brave face in court every day." He stopped, then added, "She's probably been crying alone every night before this, too."

Now Zero favored his friend with a tempestuous glare, though inwardly he hesitated in his resolve. Imagining Yuki crying alone and helpless made his insides churn sickeningly.

"Do you actually love her or not?" The lord and knight returned his glare passively, issuing a challenge. "If I loved someone I'd never let them cry alone in the dark."

Zero looked away, jaw clenching. Hanabusa knew he wanted to enter, knew he wanted to comfort her. But how could he? He was a knight, a former slave, and she was the princess of the Nine Kingdoms. He wasn't fit to enter that room, and he certainly wasn't worthy to touch her, even if only to console her.

"Seriously, just go. I'll keep watch. If there's ever been a time that she's needed you, it's this very moment."

He truly hesitated now. At least, perhaps, he should enter to make sure she was alright… He needn't do anything else, only tell her that they were there, that he was there, if she needed anything at all…

"If anyone comes, you'll knock." He would only see her for a moment, just to ensure everything was okay.

"Yes, yes, of course," Hanabusa answered impatiently.

"Okay…thanks." He raised a hand to knock.

Zero wavered, still unsure. He should not enter the most inner chamber of the princess of the Nine Kingdoms. It broke down the very rules that defined him. Despite that, despite his training and his duties, he knew that she was alone and crying behind those wooden doors. It was this thought that compelled him to knock lightly against the smooth grain of the cherrywood portal.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Hanabusa muttered, and swiftly pushed open the door before Zero could stop him.

Trapped by the blond knight's hasty action, he had no choice but to step through, shutting the door behind him. Quickly, his eyes sought for her, settling on the wide canopy bed in which she lay. Surprised, Yuki was sitting up, attempting to wipe away her tears. Her chocolate eyes were swollen red and glazed over with the physical proof of her misery. He could see her pain as clearly as if she were shouting it, and he felt his own heart twist dangerously in response. Printed over the sorrow, her expression was guilty and embarrassed; clearly she had not been expecting anyone to intrude on her.

"Zero." In spite of the situation, he could tangibly feel her lips sweetly pronounce his name and his entire being move to the melody of that voice.

He crossed the room in quick, large strides, eating up the space between them, and sat facing her on the edge of the bed. She was still trying to remove the traces of her tear tracks, which seemed seared into her skin by the hot grip of grief. After a moment, she seemed to take hold of herself and scooted closer to him, as if drawing comfort from his proximity.

"You don't have to hide from me…it's okay to cry," he said, chest constricting with the desire to hold her closer and comfort her as he never would be able to.

"I'm stronger than this," she declared, holding her chin high. "I need to prove that I'm stronger than Kaname," she finished, though her bottom lip trembled and he could see tears threatening to break loose behind the screen of her eyes.

"Maybe," he murmured then, still finding her beautiful and unable to waver his gaze despite the rawness of her eyes and obvious desire for him not to see her thus. "But all children cry when they have lost a parent."

A tear slid down her cheek then, unbidden, and her hand moved to tightly clutch the fabric of his shirt at his shoulder. "I miss him," she whispered hoarsely.

Zero swallowed against a dry throat. He dared not move unless he lose his rigid control of himself and break all of the rules of his position as knight and servant.

"No one ever credited him for all the things he did. He held the kingdoms together, he did so much, he raised me when my parents died… Everything was on his shoulders, but I never heard him complain once." Yuki looked away, as if avoiding his eyes would avoid facing her own sorrow.

He nodded slightly. It was true, as a figurehead her adopted father may have had an underwhelming presence, but as a king he had accomplished much to strengthen the ties that held the different regions together in unity and peace. And to Zero, Kaien was far more than a king. He had saved the young Kiryuu from slavery, given his life a purpose, and most importantly of all, introduced him and placed him at the side of this woman who had become the everything to his nothing.

"We never got to go back to the summer house together," she continued in a raspy, drained undertone. "I knew that he was stressed. I saw the signs. I should have told the doctors but I thought it was nothing, that he just needed to rest. And now he's dead, and maybe it could have been prevented and—" her words were choked by a sob, and he felt her fingers strengthen their grip against his shoulder, her tiny frame shaking from the effort of holding in her grief.

Something within him snapped. At that instant, he didn't care any longer about the rules, about responsibility. There was only this, the woman he desperately loved was in pain, and next to that fact everything else was rendered insignificant. Against everything he had been taught, he pulled her against him, arms wrapping around her with all the built up tenderness and affection that he had never presumed to show before.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, Yuki broke down, burying her face in his shirt and letting the tears take her. In the circle of his arms she felt very small and infinitely fragile to him, but he could also feel her warmth spreading through him like an incurable disease, infecting every cell of his body. Not sure what to do, he merely held her, stroking her hair and letting her cry. He ached for her, to see her in so much pain, and at the same time he was overwhelmed with the moment, with this one opportunity to finally hold her. Her hair was very soft under his fingers, strands of silk perfumed with the faint scent of strawberries…

He didn't have many words, but he somehow found enough of them to say, "It's not your fault."

Yuki hiccupped, unable to stop now that she had started crying, and his arms wound around her a little further in response. He would hold her like this as long as she needed, as long as she wanted him there. He would have held her like this forever if he could have.

Time passed slowly. Zero leaned his head against hers, desiring her closer and closer to himself, attempting to convey physically all of the comfort and sympathy that he could not find the words to express. He wasn't sure how long the two of them remained there, but after a while her tears finally slowed and she seemed to relax. He still didn't move, however, until he felt her weight press against him and realized that she was drifting off into unconsciousness.

"You should sleep," he murmured against her hair, though part of him wished for the moment to continue longer.

She nodded against him, sitting up and sniffing to clear away the last of her tears. Her eyes were still watery, but she seemed much calmer. "I'm okay now."

Yuki settled herself back in bed and he stood up, helping her to pull the blanket up around her. It was a bittersweet sensation, the feeling which coursed through him. He was relieved that some of her misery had been eased. His own heart felt lighter now that the chains of worry had been released. But what he truly longed for was to lay down beside her, to feel her warmth and to comfort her through the night. But that was something that a mere knight could never do, not for a princess. He urgently needed to cast away these feelings which had rooted deep into his heart before they destroyed him. They had already proved strong enough to defy the rules which defined his existence and the carefully marked boundaries between himself and this girl.

"Sleep well, my Lady," he whispered, his chest slashed open and raw before her.

She smiled up at him. "Good night, Zero. And, thank you…" She closed her eyes then, exhausted and already fading away into her dreams.

He blew out the candle beside her bed and the room was plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the shimmer of moon beams that danced in through the window to one side and the glass doors of the balcony to the other. His feet were poised to leave, to remove him from the fountain from which all of his complicated emotions sprang, but seeing her there falling away into slumber and remembering her warm frame wrapped in his arms, some external force tugged at him and compelled him to act. Overcome by the sudden uprising of love which washed over him, he bent down to gently press his lips against her forehead.

Before he left, his voice came quietly through the blackness. "Good night."

* * *

 **A/N:** o3o now you can't be mad at me for Kaien...riiiiight? -RUNS AWAY- Hehe after all that happened I think we needed a slower...sweeter chapter o3o

LOL out of curiosity... how many of you have read or watched Game of Thrones?


	15. 15 Ruka

**RUKA**

"Citizens of this great city of Ashgate," the oldest member of the counsel, the grizzled Lord Hanshiro, stood high on his podium, addressing the throng of people that had gathered in the plaza between the inner gates and the entrance of the main hall of the palace to hear the announcement. As of yet, none knew the news that would be spread here today, but there was a general atmosphere of anticipation. "We have all been faced with great tragedy with the loss of our king," he continued. "Therefore, to lift the veil of mourning that has fallen over you, I would make a joyful proclamation. It brings me great pleasure to announce the betrothal of our beloved princess Yuki to her cousin the Lord Kaname Kuran. As we have need of a king, the marriage will not be delayed long. In one month's time, let the city rejoice together in merriment and good cheer."

Ruka turned away, not wishing to hear more and feeling disgusted. Was this the news that the entire court had been anticipating, the reason why she had interrupted her daily routine to hear? That the object of all of her heart's desires was binding himself to the inadequate princess? What did Kaname, such a beautiful, elegant gentleman, see in Yuki? At least, what could he possibly see in her that she herself didn't already have in spades? Unless he preferred clumsy, graceless girls…but Ruka didn't really think that was the case. The only feature that Yuki possessed which she did not was the right to the crown. Was Kaname lured by this alone? It was the only reason that made sense.

The courtiers who had not attended the announcement mingled in the hallways, whispering gossip about the news and who knew what else. Ruka was not ready to return to her rooms, and with so many nobles preoccupied with the betrothal she knew she wouldn't easily find company at the moment, so she chose to walk the gardens instead. The carefully maintained sprawl of plants was by far her favorite place in the palace. It reminded her of her home, the flower city Arcadian Gardens. She should return there for a visit soon. It had been a long time since she had visited her parents or older brothers.

She stopped suddenly. There, in the gardens, was the very lord she had been thinking of, reclining on a sofa upholstered in expensive fabric that the servants must have placed outside for him. He was lying back on the furniture, eyes closed to block out the sunlight but expression brooding. He seemed lost in deep, unfathomable thoughts. Her chest grew hot at the sight of him, flustered by his flawlessness. Quickly, she ducked around the corner to adjust her dress and fluff her hair. Now was her best chance to win his attentions, and to ensure success, she wanted to be the epitome of perfection.

Stepping out from around the corner again, she stopped a few feet away from him, quiet, controlling even her breathing. She would patiently wait until he acknowledged her, and by doing so show her sincerity and devotion. In the meantime she could admire his features. Her eyes traced the chiseled, straight line of his nose, the sharp angle of his jaw, the shape of his long, elegant fingers… He was like a sculpture, an Adonis come to life. Perfect. Breathtaking. She felt a flush rise to her cheeks.

After a few moments, he finally spoke, voice a velvet purr that vibrated through the afternoon air. "If I never recognize your presence, will you wait there forever?"

She approached a few steps carefully, excitement fluttering in her chest. "You haven't sent me away…"

One eyebrow flicked upwards, seeming intrigued. "You want me to admonish you? You're a peculiar girl."

Ruka used the opportunity to come closer still, hovering a few feet away from the crimson couch on which he reclined. "You are a very kind person. I haven't seen you angry once during your stay here."

"That is merely a coincidence."

"You seem pensive today… If there's anything I can do to make your time here more comfortable," she offered, tongue nearly tripping over itself with hope. This could be her chance. This could be when he finally recognized her as worthy of his company, when they could establish a friendship that could then lead further, to more…. Her head was already swirling with daydreams.

"That's quite alright, my Lady. Thank you." His tone was obviously a dismissal. His eyes fell closed again.

She shook her head internally. She would not let this meeting end on such a sour note. She was Ruka Souen, the most beautiful and desirable woman in the Nine Kingdoms. He would not turn her away so easily. Her charms had never failed to win her every one of her desires in the past. She was confident that this time would result no differently.

Emboldened, she closed the gap between them. "My Lord Kaname…"

She leaned over him, silky honey hair rippling like water over one shoulder. The sun's rays glinted along its length, bringing out the natural highlights there like hidden veins of gold. She tucked the loose strands behind one ear demurely, gazing down at the beautiful lord through lowered eyelashes. He didn't respond to her, though the slight tension in his posture alerted her that he wasn't unaware or immune to her action. She took a breath, mentally preparing herself. He would not escape her. Every inch of her exuded femininity and refinement. Kaname Kuran would have to be inhuman to remain impassive before her.

She leaned a little closer now, repeating in a seductive, throaty voice scarcely above a whisper, "My Lord…"

His eyelids fluttered open now, liquid eyes drinking in her presence. She smiled to herself inwardly. As she had suspected, even he was not exempt from her charms. For a long pause, measured by the expectant beats of her maiden's heart, he was immobile. At last, however, he sighed slightly and asked simply, "Yes, my Lady?"

Her inner smile transformed into a smirk. Not only was he conscious of her, but he chose to underline her status as a noble lady of the court with his first address.

"May I..?" She chose to be bold, gesturing to the couch. He nodded graciously and sat up to allow her space, and she settled next to him, idly braiding her hair together, her gaze flirtatious.

"What brings you to the gardens today?" he asked.

She pretended to muse over this for a moment, then, "I suppose I was depressed…"

"Depressed? Whatever for?" came the expected response.

"I shouldn't trouble you, my Lord."

"Please, perhaps there is something that I could do to help."

She looked away, allowing a faint flush to bring color to her skin, biting her lip. "Well… I just heard the news of your betrothal and… I couldn't help but feel sad. After all, you're so wonderful, and the princess… " she trailed off, allowing him to make his own conclusion to the sentence. "I fear that you won't be happy with such an uneven match…"

"Thank you for your concern, my Lady. You should not trouble yourself with my happiness." She noted that he did not offer a reply about Yuki.

"I can't seem to help myself. I find myself constantly thinking of you…" The conversation was going exactly as she'd wanted it.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking, however, as he said, "My Lady, that is both unnecessary and unwise. I am already engaged to my Lady Yuki."

"There's no need for you to marry the princess. Here at the court, I'm sure there are a great number of better possibilities."

He smiled then, seeming to understand her completely. Her blood sped as he leaned closer to inquire, "A lady like yourself, for instance..?"

"I would never presume to say such a thing." She didn't move away. Her skin was itching impatiently. She was so close to victory and she could not let herself slip up and show her excitement yet.

"Yet, it seems that you're bringing me an offer…" Those unfathomable, dark eyes drew her in.

Now she allowed herself to be a shade more direct. "Perhaps I am…"

"And what would you do if I accepted that offer?" His eyes seemed to be glowing now, hypnotic and infinite in their depths. She didn't respond, but her posture, her expression, everything betrayed the response that she would give. Of course she would desire for him to accept such an offer. She was the only woman in the Nine Kingdoms who was worthy of being this man's companion.

He came closer, his breath warm against her cheek. Her heart was fluttering impatiently, wildly. In her mind she had already won the game. She would sit on the throne beside Kaname, and Yuki… Yuki would be a problem already taken care of. She held her breath, chest and lungs frozen, her eyes slowly shutting. This was the moment she had been dreaming of since his arrival.

She felt the soft pressure of his lips on her cheek, as her friends and relatives had done so many times before, and felt all her hopes dash against the shards of her broken heart. She strove to keep her expression unchanged, though all she wanted was to show the anger and disappointment that flashed through her like a summer storm.

"Is this what you wanted?" he asked, eyes unfaltering and frustratingly serene. When she didn't answer he offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but there is someone else I desire."

"Of course," she managed, tongue twisting dangerously in her mouth. "I'm terribly sorry."

"I am truly privileged, though, to receive the attentions of a lady as vibrant and striking as yourself."

"Thank you very much." She smiled at him, keeping hold of herself masterfully. There was no other noble lady of her caliber at the court. Kaname should take note of that.

"I trust we shall talk again more in the future." Once again, she could easily hear the dismissal.

This time, however, she took the hint and rose, giving him a curtsey. "Yes, I do hope so. Good day, my Lord."

"And to you, my Lady." He returned to his former position on the sofa, and she made her way back to the halls of the castle, dark and cold and shadowed like her heart.

Rejected. She, Ruka Souen, the most sought after woman at court, had been rejected. Her feet drug against the ground, propelling her back towards her chambers. Rejected. The word stung bitterly and as she contemplated it, it seemed to accumulate an acrid taste. How could anyone reject her? She was beautiful, rich, and from one of the most powerful families in the nine kingdoms. What more could anyone ask for?

But she already knew the answer. A crown. What Kaname Kuran was aiming for was nothing short of the throne itself, and especially now with the king dead it probably seemed within reach to him now more than ever. It wasn't a personal rejection against her, but it was difficult not to take it as an insult. At least he could have kissed her properly… Such a small action could have no real consequence to either of them. Even if someone had seen, what would it have mattered?

What would she have to do to attract his attention? There had to be some way. She couldn't very well become the princess, but perhaps if she proved how much of a better woman she was he would turn his attention to her instead.

Having thought that, she already knew it was hopeless. She could feel her heart sink to her feet, weighing down every step. She had never felt so depressed in her life. She had never wanted anyone so badly, either. Kaname Kuran was like one of the knights out of the novels she had read as a child growing up. She could not imagine anyone more perfect, or more perfect for her. And yet, and yet… For the first time in her 18 years, she did not see a viable means of getting what she wanted. Instead, she had to watch it be given to someone else. And it hurt, it hurt so much…

Suffocating on her thoughts, she nearly collided with the person rounding the corner at the same moment as her. Startled, she began to form an apology when she recognized the person standing before her. The broad, intimidating figure was none other than that of her closest friend and companion since she had been small, the knight Akatsuki Kain.

Abruptly, she felt the urge to throw herself into his arms, suddenly more fragile and vulnerable than ever. Akatsuki, with those familiar, gentle brown eyes and gentler smile, had always comforted her and stood beside her. If she ever had any problem, any wish, she had only to seek him. He was like her guardian angel, even now appearing at the exact moment that she needed him the most.

"What's wrong, Ruka?" he inquired instantly, face concerned. He knew before she uttered a word that she was upset.

"I spoke with the Lord Kuran…" she said, the words leaving her mouth acrimoniously. Akatsuki already knew of her love for the young lord, which she was grateful for. She didn't want to have to explain more than was necessary. He remained quiet, but she knew he was listening intently.

"I'm sure you can guess what the outcome of our chat was. He really doesn't see me at all. I don't know what to do… I'm really helpless in this situation." She pressed a hand to her temple, every cell in her body convulsing agonizingly. Suddenly overcome with emotion and craving physical contact, she moved towards the knight, fingers clenching in the material of his shirt as she pressed her face against his chest in utter despondency. "Am I really so undesirable?" she demanded, tears pricking against the backs of her eyes. "What would I have to do to make him look my way? The only time he did was to refuse me entirely. He doesn't want me at all."

She felt him take a breath, though he didn't move, didn't comfort her as she wanted. Frustration welled in her. Was it really true, then? Was she really just some kind of nuisance, a hindrance, even when she was also so beautiful and young and rich…?

"It seems that way," Akatsuki answered at last. "What you can offer him, at least now, isn't sufficient for him."

She sniffled then, truly fighting back tears now. "But why?" she asked miserably against him, fingers trembling. "I really don't understand what he's thinking…"

"Perhaps you aren't meant to." Like Kaname, the calmness of his voice infiltrated under her skin, driving her towards immeasurable vexation.

"Are you saying that I should just give up?!" Her knuckles tightened, spirit flaring. "I'm not such a weak-willed woman that one rejection could deter me."

A pause, then, "I'm saying…that perhaps some things cannot be understood, at least as they are at the present time."

She shook her head against him, determination once more taking form. "I won't give up yet. I'll make him see me…"

"It would be impossible not to, Ruka," he murmured, his deep voice resonating through her from his chest.

Feeling reassured and animated again with his words, she straightened, smiling up at him. "Thank you. I feel better after talking to you. You're truly a wonderful friend, Akatsuki. Perhaps the only true one I have here."

"Ah, thank you." His coffee-colored eyes glanced away for a moment before returning to her face. "I'm sure that's not true, though. You have many friends."

"But none so kind and patient as you," she told him sincerely, feeling strengthened just standing beside him.

"You flatter me. I'm afraid I'm late for practice, but cheer up. It'll turn out for the best, I'm sure."

She nodded, believing his words. "See you later, then."

Ruka parted ways with the knight, feeling emboldened and inspired once again. What was one measly rejection? She would be very weak indeed to let one failure stop her. Let Lord Kaname pronounce his engagement to the princess. That would only make the breaking of it that more dramatic. She tossed her hair back. She was the Lady Ruka Souen, and when it came to something that she wanted, she was unstoppable.

* * *

 **A/N:** Just in case you were getting bored with the other narrators... XD The cast is slowly growing..! You know what makes writing chapters with Kaname more fun though...replacing "Kaname" with "Chicken" in the word document. Yes. Hehehehe.

Also sorry for the kind of slow pace so far... I'm trying to let events play out naturally but I'm worried maybe it's too slow... A lot more should start happening in the next 2-3 chapters!


	16. 16 Yuki

**YUKI**

The council had finally responded to her request for an audience. After speaking with Hanabusa, the choice of action seemed obvious. Kaname would be expecting her to be too afraid to defy him, but there was an authority with higher power than all of them at the moment, and that was the council. If the older lords could be persuaded to allow a marriage between herself and the young Aidou lord, the entire situation would be remedied. Therefore, she had put in her petition for an audience and, several agonizingly long hours later, her request had been granted.

Yuki stood before the council chamber now, accompanied by Zero. She had been here many times before with her father to observe and to learn about governing the kingdoms. She knew all of the lords, and she hoped that the years she had known them would work to her advantage. She could feel the doubt radiating from her silver-haired knight, however.

"They will listen to me. I'm their princess," she told him with conviction. She had been repeating this to herself for at least ten minutes. She badly needed to convince herself that this was the unalterable truth.

Twin violet orbs reproached her.

"If not… I don't want to think of that." She shook her head and moved to the door, hesitating just before it. "Wish me luck?"

The seriousness did not leave his face. "Good luck."

She flashed him a smile and pushed open the doors. For a moment, the dim lightning hazed over her vision, a sickly cloud of candle smoke and dull orange, flickering light. After her eyes had adjusted, she recognized the wide, simple room, furnished only with the unornamented brass candle holders and a long wooden table around which sat the councilors. Her father's seat at the head of the table remained empty, and she looked away for a moment to allow the knot that had rooted itself in her chest to soften. The wound was still too fresh, and being here without him caused it to reopen and bleed against her soul.

Upon her entrance, the six lords looked up and gestured her forward. Her shoes clicked against the hard stone floor, bringing her to a stop at the end of the table. Today she was dressed in a basic gown the color of amber. She wanted to appear modest and unthreatening so that they might take pity on her, so that they would trust her. She was a princess, but she also needed to seem like an ordinary girl who was being tricked by a villain.

"Welcome, Princess," Hanshiro, the head of the council, spoke first. "What brings you before us today?" The attention of all six lords was on her.

Yuki hurriedly erased the feeling of intimidation that niggled under her skin and addressed the men with authority. "My lords, I come here before you with a plea. My cousin the Lord Kaname Kuran has lied to you. He has informed you of our decision to be wed, which was announced without my knowledge or consent, after I had already promised my hand to the Lord Hanabusa Aidou. As you are already aware, my father the king had discussed this with Lord Nagamichi Aidou in the past."

She took a breath, and in that small space Mitsu, the Counselor of Medicine interjected, "Yes, we were informed that you desired this match."

The breath died in her throat, leaving confusion in its place. "Then, if you were already aware—"

"However," the lord continued smoothly, "we have deemed this match unsuitable."

Gaius, the Counselor of War spoke now. "It is an issue of honor. The throne is better served without changing the balance of power, seated with a Kuran."

A chill iced through her veins. Had the entire council already been bought, then? Her gaze took in the faces, each so familiar, and found not even a glimmer of comfort. The expressions that faced her were hard or pitying, but all of them already committed to their decision. She could not give up, though. The rest of her life, as well as the fate of the Nine Kingdoms, was at stake.

Yuki closed her eyes, gathering courage. She could not let them plow over her like this. "Honor. Whose honor?"

"Yours. The honor of your family. The Kurans have ruled for generations, and they should continue to do so. This is our will."

"I am the heir apparent." Her eyes became hard marbles, defiant.

"Yes, forgive us, my Lady, but your position as the princess is extremely fragile at this time." A third Counselor, Azama, who headed over the treasury offered her an apologetic smile. "It is a title inherited by blood, but according to the law it is not you, but your husband who will become our ruler and as such, it is we in the council who wield the power to rule in the interim. Furthermore, you are young, inexperienced, and little known by the citizens that live beyond the castle walls. It would be beneficial, therefore, for the king to be an experienced and well-liked noble such as your cousin. It would also be of benefit for you to heed the counsel of your elders."

"Do my wishes carry no weight then?" she demanded, keeping her chin high. She was not going to be cast aside like this. She was the princess, and surely that could not mean as little as they insisted.

"Of course they do," Azama soothed her. "But the council has already convened to reach a decision and this was the majority vote. We have faithfully served your lord father for many years for the good of the kingdoms, and he has always listened to and considered our advice. You should follow his example, Princess."

She fought down a wave of helplessness. Who ruled the kingdoms, then? These men? Was the king nothing more than a figurehead? "I'm sure my father's will held some sway, as well."

The mention of her adopted father so many times was rendering her feeble. The image of his face, pale as a phantom, as ice, swam behind her eyelids. She gave herself a mental shake. She had told Zero this before, and now she must tell herself again: she was strong, stronger than Kaname Kuran. The white, dead face faded a little, and she felt her determination return. Her adopted father would not want this fate for her. He would want her to fight for her happiness.

"Of course," Hanshiro, nodded. "As does yours."

"Then why will you not hear it?" she challenged.

"Princess, please, trust your council with this matter," Mitsu chimed in again. "This marriage is far more advantageous to all parties concerned."

"And my happiness? What of that?" Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. She was becoming desperate. There were no allies here in this room.

"Sacrifices must be made," Gaius stated, to which the counselor of medicine added, "We have it on good authority that you and the Lord Kuran are at the very least friends. We believe that you shall not be unhappy."

"I see," the words were forced from her with effort. Inside, she could feel indignation, despair, and numbness beginning to spread through her. Although she was a princess, she had no more power than a farmer's daughter, and far less freedom…

"Will that be all, princess?" Hanshiro raised his eyebrows over the rim of his wide-framed reading spectacles, clearly expecting her departure from the council chambers.

Holding back a flood of emotion, she merely gave a curtsey. Her joints locked and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, but at last she was able to answer. "Yes, that will be all. Good day to you, my Lords."

She could feel their eyes at her back like hot coals. Defeat pooled at her feet with each step that she took from the chamber. Her knees felt weak and watery, but she somehow managed to walk without falling. She felt like she was falling… Falling into a deep abyss that swallowed her whole. Beneath her, was there a bottom, or would she keep falling forever?

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, and she erased them swiftly, blinking them out of existence. There had to be something that she was missing, something that she could do. This could not be the only path left for her. How could the princess of the Nine Kingdoms be voiceless? It seemed as though she was trapped within a bad dream. Now, more than ever, she longed for the innocence of those days in the summer house. Her mouth felt dry. Already those days would never return.

As soon she she'd stepped from the room and the door had clicked shut behind her, Zero turned toward her, waiting. She didn't need him to voice his question in words.

"They wouldn't listen to me." She swallowed hard, hands trembling now after holding still for so long. "They've already made their decision." The emotions swirled up again, muddying her eyesight with unshed tears.

The silver knight seemed to turn to stone for a moment, violet eyes cementing over gravely.

"My cousin-"

"Ah, my Lady, what a pleasant surprise to see you here." Kaname's familiar, overly sweet voice cloyed at her ears, overwhelming. The air locked in her throat as he approached. "May I say that you look lovely today?"

She choked out a smile. "Thank you."

"Have you met with the council?" He seemed intrigued, but she was sure he was already aware of her purpose.

"I had a private matter to attend to." She squared her shoulders, offering him little to continue the conversation with. Beside her, she could feel Zero's tension, palpable in the air.

"Of course. It is commendable that you should seek aid from such wise men. Though…" He paused, casting a shadowed glance towards the knight, "perhaps it is unwise to bring a knight into such a sensitive meeting..?"

Her brow pinched together. What difference did Zero's presence make? However, she limited herself to saying, "He remained here, outside."

"Ah. Forgive me, then. I only assumed as the two of you are attached at the hip, so to speak." His expression seemed amused, putting her further on edge.

"Yes, well the two of us will be going now. Good day." She gave only the barest of curtsies and immediately made her escape. Her cousin's reply, "And to you, my Lady" bounced harmlessly off her back.

Despite the brief time that she had spoken with him, his presence sickened her. He was like a parasite, leeching off the royal court and growing stronger with every passing day. It seemed certain that he controlled the council now, and aimed to control her, as well.

It might have just been her imagination, but she could almost imagine those words crawling back and seeping into her skin like toxin…

* * *

 **A/N:** Another political chap...le sigh...still, it seemed kind of necessary to explain what was happening with the council. I don't know about you guys but this week has just flown by. Btw, yesterday autocorrect tried to change Ruka to "tuna." That was fantastic. If anyone has any other great VK autocorrected names, please send them! I need a good laugh to start off the work week 3.


	17. 17 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

Hanabusa enjoyed the crunch of his polished boots against the hard-packed dirt surrounding the barracks. It was mid-morning and the air was a touch brisk with the promise of heat in the afternoon. Around him, knights were already beginning their daily practice routines. In a few moments, he would rouse Zero to do the same. Today, definitely, he would manage to win the sparring match. He was faster and more agile, after all. Somehow he couldn't seem to defeat the silver-haired knight, though. He scowled.

Entering the main hall of the barracks and passing through to the hall where the officers and Zero were housed, his scowl deepened. For some unknown reason, the lord Kaname Kuran was standing squarely in the middle of the hall, blocking his way. Further down the hall a clump of guards stood, conversing in hushed but solemn tones.

"Excuse me, my Lord, may I pass?" he asked politely, refraining from shouldering the Kuran aside brusquely.

"Ah, I'm sorry." The lord moved to let him pass and then questioned, "Are you searching for someone? Perhaps you are unaware, but I believe I should be the one to tell you that there have been criminal charges brought up against Zero Kiryuu."

Shock stamped itself over every one of his features. "Excuse me, what?" The blond faced the other lord squarely, unable to process this information.

"So you weren't told after all. As I thought. The matter is relatively recent, I think. I came here myself to investigate the situation. Some of the members of the court are saying that the knight has been involved in…dishonorable actions with the princess."

Hanabusa stiffened immediately. Could they have seen Zero enter Yuki's room that night? No, that was impossible. He forced himself to think. What evidence could they possibly have of such an outrageous claim? More importantly, how was it that Kaname Kuran was the first person to know of it?

"May I speak to Zero?" He watched the lord with the gaze of a hawk, taking note of every subtle change in his expression, of his every movement. If there were any prime suspects to have instigated this, it was the man standing before him.

"I'm afraid Zero Kiryuu has been taken into custody until the time that a proper trial has been given. I trust you'll be understanding with this matter. I'm sure it is a mistake, but since the princess' honor is at stake…"

Fury boiled beneath his skin. His eyebrows shot down, highlighting his eyes with a vivid challenge. "I can vouch for them. These claims are false."

"All will be put in order during the trail. I'm sure you'll be called on to testify," Kaname replied placidly.

"May I ask who has brought forth these charges?" he seethed.

"You may. It has actually been several members of the court, among them more than one counselor who approached me together about this matter. They were concerned about my own honor as I'll soon be wed to our princess, and as such informed me immediately."

"I see," Hanabusa said stiffly. "So you mean to tell me that the royal court is more concerned about one noble's, albeit a Kuran's, honor over their own princess."

"I don't understand it myself, truly," the noble lord apologized, unruffled.

"Don't worry, my Lord. I understand perfectly." He smiled sardonically, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. There was no doubt in his mind that Kaname Kuran was behind this, and with every passing day he suspected more and more the lord's additional involvement in King Kaien's death.

"I tried to rectify the situation, that I promise you."

"I'm sure you did." The sarcasm in his tone wasn't lost on the Kuran, whose eyes shifted darkly in response. "There's no need to waste your breath to offer me explanations. An urgent appointment calls me, however. Have a good evening."

Kaname attempted to say something, but Hanabusa had already turned his back on the lord, frame taut with infuriation. Lord Kuran was a perilous creature, that was obvious, but if he thought that he would win the kingdoms without resistance, he was wrong. Yuki had declared her intention to wed him, Hanabusa Aidou, and not her cousin. That was a direct assault against himself and his family. The Aidous were not a family to be trifled with, and after all that had happened, he felt very, very trifled with.

Making a decision, he changed his course to take him to Yuki's chambers. He needed to speak first with her. She might know something that other sources would not, and he trusted her above all of the members at court to be completely forthright and honest with him. Then again, there was a high probability that even she didn't know Zero had been taken into custody. It seemed the news had not spread far beyond the counsel and Lord Kuran.

On his way out of the barracks, Hanabusa caught sight of the head of the counsel, Hanshiro, standing consulting several members of the guard. Hanshiro had been on the counsel for as long as anyone could remember. If anyone knew the details of Zero's imprisonment and the charges against Yuki, it would be him. The young lord approached him and the haggard old lord waved off the guard, facing him with an inquisitive look.

"My Lord." The blond knight gave a deep, respectful bow.

"Young Aidou, how good to see you. Is there something you need?" the council member queried in his frail, oddly lilting voice.

"Yes, actually, I'm wondering about my comrade, Zero Kiryuu. I heard there have been charges brought against him, something about honor..?"

Hanshiro's face closed, hardening to a texture that resembled the bark of an ancient tree. "Yes… His relationship with the princess has recently been questioned…"

"I assure you, there has never been anything between them." Nothing that had actually been realized, anyway, those idiots. For once, he was grateful for their oblivious stupidity.

"Well, you don't need to convince me. It's the jury that will need convincing. I'm sure this is just gossip and speculation, but nevertheless the charges are serious and must be properly investigated."

The knight recalled that he had seen Hanshiro and Kaname together on more than one occasion. In addition, hadn't it been Hanshiro that had announced the betrothal of Yuki and Kaname? Somehow, the old lord must be benefitting from the situation. Hanabusa wondered what Lord Kuran had promised him. "Of course. May I ask when the trial will take place?"

"The trial will be held in a week's time. We need to gather all of the evidence before we can begin and talk with everyone here, of course."

The ire abruptly blazed through him again like fire. It was too much time, too much time for Kaname to manipulate and bribe witnesses to make the charges more convincing. "Prepare so that Yuki's guilt becomes apparent, you mean."

"Now listen here. Nothing is certain at this point in time-"

"Yes, which is why you need time to make it certain," the blond cut him off. "Or at least to seem convincing. Really though, I wonder who is profiting from this…" His eyes sparked with electricity.

"No one profits from this, but it _is_ a necessity." Hanshiro regarded him with disapproval.

"It wouldn't have been a necessity unless someone wanted to make it so. I'm sorry, my Lord, I must be troubling you… Good day." With a far less polite exit to the conversation, he bowed a second time and made his retreat from the barracks, perturbed.

If Hanshiro was allied with Lord Kuran, things looked grim indeed. The council member was not from a powerful family, but he had built a network of alliances and accumulated enough wealth to make him a very influential man. Not only that, but his age granted him a great deal of respect and trustworthiness. Where Hanshiro went, the other council members and consequently the court would follow. Perhaps that was why Yuki's audience with them had not gone according to plan.

He blew out a sigh. King Kaien had not been the most charismatic of leaders, but this situation would never have occurred under his rule. He had always been honorable and just, exactly the opposite of how the council was handling his absence. His death had injured the court more profoundly than anyone was aware of. To Hanabusa himself, it had cut deeply… The king had been like a kindly uncle to him for years now… He grimaced. There would be time to mourn the king's loss later. At the present time it was of far more urgency and importance to focus the treacherous plot that was unfolding before his eyes.

It seemed an eternity before he reached the tower where Yuki resided. Outside the doors he was disturbed to see that an additional guard had been posted, but upon his arrival they let him pass without issue. He was glad to see that his status still held some weight in the castle.

After knocking to announce his presence and receiving a muted summons from other side of the door, Hanabusa stepped into the outer room of Yuki's tower. She was standing to greet him, dressed entirely in black, her mouth a thin line as straight and taut as though it had been drawn with a pen. The corners of her eyes were marked with red, and he immediately knew she'd been crying not long before. Without being told, he was sure she was already aware of the situation.

Throwing away any pretext or customary greeting, he decided to cut straight to the point of his visit. "What happened?" His eyes shifted to grey, ashen and grave.

Yuki's brow tightened, distraught. Her hands twisted the folds of her skirts in agitation. It was a moment before she seemed to find words. "They took him away. I don't know why or where…" She took a breath, pressing a hand close against her mouth and shutting her eyes for a moment before she continued. "They said he had to await the trial and when I demanded an explanation they only said that I should already know everything. They told me to stay here, that I was confined to my quarters, but I really don't understand anything. I don't understand anything at all." Despair and a fresh outbreak of tears threatened against the horizons of her eyes.

"Calm down, try not to worry. I'll ask around and find out what's going on. I wanted to come see you before I did anything, though. I'd tell you to wait here, but… I guess you have to." He flashed her a grin.

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the sharpest edges of her tension dull.

"There's only one question that actually matters, or should matter, in this situation. Did you engage in any dishonorable relations with Zero?" He already knew the answer. Both Yuki and Zero were too blinded by their status and duty to see the love that they clearly shared.

"No!" she cried indignantly.

"Then, that should be the end of it. They have no proof. It's your word against whatever false witness they're able to summon and they should believe their own princess over another lord, even Lord Kaname himself. However, I have a feeling nothing will be resolved so simply…"

He frowned, deeply troubled. If Lord Kuran was behind this, and he suspected that he was, then both Hanabusa and the princess had been deftly placed into check. One wrong move and they would quickly be placed into check _mate_ , with no way out. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a sigh. The situation was becoming increasingly more complicated and delicate.

"Okay, I'll be back later to let you know what I find out. Try not to panic. They have no evidence against you," he reassured her, though the worry knotted in his gut. He had a dreadful premonition about this series of events.

She nodded miserably, her distress tangible. Beneath her eyes had appeared dark circles, and he could see her fatigue in the paleness of her skin. She was suffering under so much pressure, waning under the weight of Kaname's presence. He had known this girl since they had been children, but he had never before seen her this way.

Moved by the sudden tension that built in his chest, he embraced her for the first time in all the years that he had known her, pulling her towards him to hug her close. Yuki Kuran was one of his closest companions, and it hurt him to see her wounded by so much sorrow and misfortune. He was resolved that he would find a solution, to both Zero's imprisonment and to Kaname Kuran. Perhaps it would be best to write home immediately and inform his father of the situation.

With the intention of lightening the bleak mood in the room, he joked, "They aren't the arms you want, but cheer up. We'll get through this. I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to free Zero."

He felt her smack his shoulder, but then she gave him a squeeze and when they moved apart the smile she gave him was grateful. She closed her eyes, and he could see her collecting herself. After a long moment, she finally spoke. "Thank you. You're right, we'll get through this. But, although you're my knight and Bloodguard, I won't let you do this alone. For the moment I'm trapped here, but I'll also do all that I can to help. Let me know if you need anything."

The blond smirked. "Well, if you happen to know of any young ladies at court to be my personal assistant…"

"Get out." She gave him a playful shove. "You're dismissed."

He laughed. "Are you sure you don't have any recommendations?"

"I said you're dismissed. Goodbye!"

Still chuckling, he gave her a short bow and ducked out of the room. He was pleased that he could at least leave her with a smile, even if it was an exasperated one. Though, he really wouldn't have minded a pretty assistant to help…

Sighing at his own small hardship, he started down the tower stairs. He had a lot of work to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** -cough- Mocasio you predicted that spot on... I said you shouldn't be scared but... well... you were right to be scared for Zero. The plot thickens! Dun dun DUNNNNN! Also gotta say Kyogan those auto-corrects cracked me up. Kaname as a couch is perfect since he's always melodramatic on his red couch... XD For some reason Aidou becoming Audi made me giggle a lot. If Ruka becomes Tuna then we can have The Adventures of Audi and Tuna. Book One: Audi and Tuna take on Lord Chicken! -SHOT- Also Artemis your auto-correct of Kaien to alien is just epic. -high fives!-

Ahem, on a different note, anyone going to dress up for Halloween?


	18. 18 Takuma

**TAKUMA**

The dank air of the prison crawled into his lungs, driving nails of horror through his flesh. His teeth were set on edge, two rows of silent sentinels forced to bear the brunt of this nightmare. His eyes were locked open, staring widely at the dirty floor, refusing to see but unable to escape. He was trembling, his heart beating furiously like a trapped animal. His gaze flicked to Kaname, swallowing hard against a dry and aching throat, but the lord was watching the scene unfold before him placidly, without a hint of a reaction. The muted spheres of light from the lanterns reflected his eyes in obscure, bloody pools.

His lord's words still rang sharply in his ears, barbed syllables that sunk into his flesh and withdrew blood. Those words called for vengeance, for some dark plan in which Takuma wanted no part. Nevertheless, Kaname had commanded his presence...given him the key, even, to the dungeon cells, although to what purpose, the young noble did not wish to guess.

 _"It belittles you that a man such as this bested you in armed combat, does it not Chomei? You may extract the insult from his flesh. Do as you wish with him."_

Chomei was a vindictive, brutal man. The punishment which he now meted out was equally fearsome. Takuma could not bear the sight of this atrocity, but every which way he turned seemed to bring a sight just as terrible. There was blood staining the floor here from the nightmares which had passed before, blood in the very air... And although no drop of blood had yet been spilled _this_ night, what had transpired was enough to chill the very marrow of his bones.

"Kaname…" The name scratched from his lips in rags. "Stop this."

The stark, crimson depths of those eyes did not blink, unfaltering. The lord's response came coolly, as if he was viewing a tournament rather than a torture, "It's not gratifying to you?"

The blond lord flinched as if he had been struck. Unwillingly, automatically, he caught a glimpse of the princess' Bloodguard, chained to the wall with heavy, rusting manacles, feebly struggling with the futile effort to breathe as Kaname's champion Chomei poured poison down his throat. Gratifying? Revulsion and dread slicked his skin, raised the hairs on the back of his neck. The compulsion to retch nearly mastered him before he regained control of himself again.

Summoning courage, he faced the man to whom he had sworn his loyalty and demanded, "Put an end to this. This is not justice."

"Silence," Kaname commanded, his voice barely above a murmur but registering with utter authority.

Takuma's words sputtered out in his throat. In the space that followed, the only sound he heard was the desperate gasping of air into tormented lungs from inside the cell. As the poison began to set in, that sound transformed into something that had been birthed from his nightmares, an inhuman cry that hacked his ears raw as if with the blade of a knife. Goosebumps blistered his skin, sending a hot shiver through him that stabbed straight through to his bones. Beside him, his childhood friend watched with fascination and perhaps even a hint of satisfaction.

The Ichijou lord's resolve snapped. He could not stay here and witness the atrocities that were being inflicted on this innocent man. Takuma was loyal to Kaname Kuran, not this power-hungry shadow that in this moment seemed more demon than human. Bitter repentance burned through him. He was unable to stop this, unable to pull his friend back from the brinks of monstrosity.

With a stiff bow, Takuma said, "I'll be taking my leave, my Lord."

The Kuran lord's mouth folded subtly downwards, a hint of his displeasure. He did not stop the blond, however, as Takuma swiftly exited the prison and climbed the stairs that led back to the main floor of the palace. There was nothing that could have prevented his departure. His oaths to Kaname had not included this. To see it was a form of torture itself, and a chill reminder of what the lord was capable of.

In the hall above the prison, Takuma supported himself against the wall for a few long, dragging seconds, trying to remember how to respire. His skin felt clammy and damp with sweat. When he pushed away and started once again for his rooms, he knew what it was that he felt: fear. For all the years that he had been with Kaname, never once had he been afraid of the man. Today, for the first time, he had been touched with a fear so profound that it had manifested itself physically. He felt weak; his knees trembled like those of an old man. Even if he hadn't looked, what he had been a part of below in that cell had been so sickening that he recoiled from himself in disgust for his inaction. Had he chosen not to interfere because it would have been in vain, or because he was afraid?

The walk back to his room seemed to stretch onward towards infinity. Never before had the unfamiliar halls seemed so vast and chasm-like, a maze which seemed to extend downwards like catacombs. The stone around him seemed to watch him, weighing his every step and thought, and within their depths he thought he saw the king's face, staring out at him with unseeing eyes as he passed by. Was he guilty, having suspected Kaname's plan even though he had taken no part of it? Had he contributed to Kaien Kuran's death by his own inaction and hesitation? Before, the blond lord had continued steadfast in his path alongside Kaname, but seeds of doubt and blame took root in the pit of his stomach. Where was his confidence? It was slipping away along with his senses.

Adrift between islands of thought, Takuma was scarcely conscious of the texture of his door against his hand as he pushed it open and entered the chamber the late King Kaien had given him. Moving with leaden limbs, he dropped into the beige upholstered armchair to his right and closed his eyes, attempting to regain his mental footing. He had come here to the capital with purpose and continued to remain here with loyalty, but already those feelings had been strained down to their most basic elements. Had he been blind before, or merely ignorant? How was it possible that he had not noticed the slow and dark twisting of his lord?

Feeling the press of a headache at his temples, he reopened his eyes slowly and tried to relax muscle by muscle. The template of the room was meant to be soothing, with soft tones of peach and apricot accentuated by dark woods, and he tried to lose himself in the colors, setting himself loose amongst the silken folds of the curtains and the scintillating geometric pattern of the carpet beneath his feet. Inevitably, however, the colors seemed to mesh and merge together into the sickly rust tint of the dungeon below where the princess' silver knight remained hostage to his lord's unquestionably sinister plot.

Takuma remained where he was for an indeterminable span of time, almost comatose as his thoughts synced back and forth from the scene below to the truth that had now thrown itself in his face. No longer could he claim ignorance to this treason. He had resolved himself before never to examine Kaname's commands too closely, but now that his friend's intentions had been laid bare it was challenging to push such knowledge aside. His resolution was wavering, and he couldn't be certain where the path would lead him.

The trial would be held in the morning. Takuma knew its result, knew that it had been engineered specifically to bend the court to Kaname's will. Did knowing this alter his fealty? He rubbed his forehead wearily. Already he was aware that the inner debate was futile ...he would never waver from his lord's side, for it was Kaname Kuran to whom he was bound and Kaname Kuran to whom the throne rightfully belonged. However, such an alliance did not signify that he had to forsake the victims of this heinous crime. How could he ensure that justice was upheld, both now and in the future? The princess and her knights surely didn't deserve this fate, but equally so Lord Kaname held the only true claim to the throne. After all, it had been his father, Rido Kuran, who should have inherited it rather than Kaien.

Still… The expression of satisfaction as Kaname watched the Kiryuu knight tortured blurred his thoughts again. For all of Takuma Ichijou's steadfast allegiance to the lord, he could not erase the sinister obsidian into which those dark eyes had solidified. The fraternity Takuma had always shared with his friend was being swiftly replaced with disapproval, fear, and repulsion…

The night slowed to a crawl. Each minute seemed to grasp at his ankles, weighing him down so that he had to slog heavily into the morning. He did not move from the chair. He wasn't sure if he even slept, or if his thoughts merely slid together in an oily ooze of uncertainty. By the time that it was morning and the servants were bringing his breakfast, he felt more exhausted than if he had run from Ashgate back to the Kuran kingdom.

He didn't have long for his thoughts to fester, however. Before long he heard the bells, summoning him to the trial. Setting aside his untouched food he rose and exited his chambers. Even if he hadn't known where to go, so many nobles were making their way to the same destination that he was easily able to follow along.

The nobles were crowding into the throne room. In front of the throne a chair had been erected in which an old judge sat. Normally, the king would have dealt with a trial of this level of severity, but as there was no king and the princess was the one on trial, this judge had been assigned the task. Beside him, several more chairs had been arranged, and in these were the council members who would serve as the jury. In front of the judge a dais had been raised, and it was there that the witnesses and the accused would make their cases. Takuma made his way to the front of the room and took his place beside Kaname. The two men did not exchange any words.

Before long the trial began, sweeping the court under in a tide of suspicion and false accusations. The judge announced, "First we shall hear the testimonies and then the witnesses that the prosecutor has brought. Then, we shall hear the defense and her witnesses."

Hanshiro was the only member of the council who was not seated amongst his companions. Instead he stood with those who would testify, as he was the one who had initiated the trial. He was the first that was called upon to testify. The judge listened carefully as the counselor described the situation and surrounding concern of the manner of the relation between Princess Yuki and the knight Zero Kiryuu. The court listened in inquisitive silence, underlined with the airbrush of gossipy murmurs and intermittent coughs.

Several witnesses were called to the stand after Hanshiro; members of the Guard and nobles of the castle. Each testified that the relationship between Yuki and Zero was suspicious at best. Takuma could feel his fist clenching. How could everyone here, like himself, merely stand and watch something that was so obviously wrong? Why was it that the promise of money or power drove people to forget what was right? Takuma was already aware that Kaname had blackmailed or bribed the majority of the council, and it seemed that the nobility naturally followed their lead.

Kaname was then called to the stand to testify as well. Against all logic, Takuma couldn't quell the sudden hope that entangled his chest that his lord would rethink the trial, but as expected when the dark haired man spoke it was only to confirm what Hanshiro had accused the princess of.

"I have indeed witnessed the unseemly manner of their relations, even in public," he affirmed. "My guard Seiren can attest to this as well, perhaps far more than I." Piece by piece, Kaname Kuran was dismembering the remnants of opposition to his claim on the throne, and with it, murdering their friendship.

"Perhaps your guard would testify, then?" the judge asked.

"Of course." The lord motioned for the stern woman to take his place at the stand.

"Seiren, please tell us what if you have witnessed."

"I admit, I do not have much to tell," she began humbly.

"Proceed."

"However... I have witnessed both the princess and her guard visiting each other's chambers, even at night. During the tournament, the princess bestowed her favor upon the knight, and I happened to pass through the hallway and catch of glimpse of the two of them...kissing."

A ripple of gasps and murmurs passed through the court. Yuki stood up suddenly, crying out, "That's not what happened!"

"Princess, you are to remain silent," the judge admonished her, eyes flashing. "You will have a turn to speak, as well. Do you have anything else to add, Seiren?"

The woman shook her head. "I do not."

"Then, Princess, you may come to the stand."

As Yuki walked to take her place at the front of the room, Takuma thought she seemed paler than he remembered, with dark circles smudging the skin beneath her eyes. The events were taking their toll on her.

"Do you, Yuki Kuran, swear that you have not engaged in any dishonorable relations with Zero Kiryuu or anyone else?"

The princess placed her hands flat against the wood of the podium, voice honest and pleading. "I swear it."

Takuma swallowed down the bile that suddenly rose in his throat. Her denial was futile, a mere hindrance that Kaname would shoulder aside. He knew as well as most everyone in the court exactly how this trial would conclude. As he'd suspected, after her denial of every accusation pointed at her, the silver-haired knight was brought out to testify, manacled and escorted by four guards. In his mind, he could still recall vividly what they had done to the knight, what Takuma had been forced to watch despite the way the scene corroded his eyes and ears like an affliction. There was no physical evidence to suggest the torture that he had undergone, but Takuma had seen the brutality, seen the pain that had betrayed itself on the Bloodguard's face. Kaname was cruel to give his slighted champion Chomei custody of Zero. Too cruel… The ball of nausea rolled inside him again, and he fought it down. Now was not the time to relive the horror he had witnessed.

The questions, identical to those that had been posed of the princess, were fired one by one at the knight. He, too, denied the accusations, and Takuma could see the strain of every word he pronounced with his failing strength. Despite that, the evidence had been arranged masterfully. It was true that the princess and her knight walked a fine line between honor and dishonor in their relationship. Takuma had seen them together often enough, as the courtesans called forth as witnesses also attested to. The pair had rarely been apart since they had met, it seemed. The princess frequented the garrison and had given Zero her favor during the tournament, an action that many had frowned upon. The worst evidence against them, however, was the alleged kiss that the princess had given her knight in his quarters after the tournament, reported by Kaname's own Bloodguard. All of this evidence had been artfully crafted together by none other than the Kuran lord himself. Takuma had suspected the assassin was spying on the princess and her guard for some time now, and the trial had confirmed it. It was an underhanded, cunning move, and one that he did not approve of. Even Hanabusa Aidou's testimony that he had never seen any dishonorable behavior between the pair could not counter Seiren's allegations.

Takuma Ichijou had served Kaname loyally for years. Their families were deeply allied, so deeply that his grandfather Asato Ichijou had been allowed to govern the kingdom in Kaname's absence. His grandfather had seen the benefits of having a strong tie to the royal name, and had sworn to back the young Kuran's claim to the throne in due time. As such, Takuma had been sent early on as ward and companion to Kaname, and had quickly discovered the lord to be a natural leader. He was charismatic, patient, calculated. Until now… Now, so close to achieving his ultimate goal, darkness had begun to breed and fester in the noble. Takuma would not waver in his loyalty, but neither could he permit such injustice, when the most basic building block to a good leadership in his opinion was the opposite: justice.

Suddenly, it was as though all of his hesitations had snapped into place. He could not permit current events to continue on their course while he was a mere bystander. He would not betray Kaname. No, taking action in this way would not harm the lord's claim to the throne. If anything, it might strengthen it... This was the best way to serve his lord and to stop the atrocities that were unfolding here. And also...it would give the princess and her guard the best chance that they might have for survival. For once, he was going to do something that he might be proud of.

Therefore, when the trial had been called to a halt for the day, he lingered only long enough to assure Kaname of his presence before he turned on his heel and headed for the princess' tower. He knew that she would wish to return there to rest, and now was his best opportunity to speak with her in private. The trial may have pushed him to finally make his move, but the blond felt that this decision had been made long before. It had only been now that he had finally realized it.

Takuma picked up his pace, mounting the stairs that led to the princess' tower. The trial wouldn't reconvene until the subsequent day, but he couldn't be sure when Kaname would choose to resume Zero's torture. The time that he gave the princess to escape perhaps would be only a matter of minutes. He reached the top of the stairs and politely asked the guards to announce him. He couldn't dismiss the possibility that Yuki might not heed his words at all.

Within moments, the doors were opened to receive him. Yuki and her other Bloodguard, Hanabusa Aidou, were waiting for him. The princess looked as though she might have been crying. He felt a twinge in his chest. She did not deserve this pain. The guard who had opened the door exited quietly and closed the door behind him.

"My Lady, My Lord," he sketched a cursory bow, feeling time press against him with heavy iron fetters.

The blond knight was instantly put on guard, moving to stand a step in front of the princess. Takuma suppressed a sardonic smile. He was, after all, the dangerous right-hand man of their enemy. It was only right that they should be wary of him. Regardless, it was still an odd sensation to be viewed with such open hostility and distrust.

"To what do we owe this pleasure, my Lord?" the Aidou lordling questioned, voice absent of all welcome or sincerity.

"I have come to advise you… You should leave the capital immediately." His green eyes flashed urgently. It was best that he make his point immediately. "The outcome of this trial has already been decided. Tomorrow's continuation is a farce. Everything has been manipulated from the start."

Lord Hanabusa studied him with suspicion. "Manipulated how?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't been informed of all of Kaname's plans." He was growing nervous, impatient for time that they did not have. "I do know that the council has been convinced that the princess has been dishonored, and that you are involved in the plot to keep it from discovery, as you are her childhood friend. Naturally you'd want the throne for your family's benefit, as well."

Anger simmered underneath the blond knight's skin, and he saw Yuki's eyes widen in disbelief. "Why should we trust a word you say?" The knight cocked an eyebrow at him, though his expression was pensive.

Takuma shrugged. "You shouldn't. Trust nothing anyone tells you here in the capital, and trust less the friend of your enemy. However… I didn't come here for a massacre of the royal family, and I don't want any part in this conspiracy."

"What will happen if we stay?" Yuki asked then, coming forward then from behind her guard.

His tone was dark. "If you choose to remain here, I'm sure Kaname will come to you soon to offer you a deal. If you marry him with no further complaint or fight, he will release Zero. And if not, he will see you disgraced and perhaps even exiled in dishonor from the capital. Zero will be executed, and the Lord Hanabusa Aidou will be sent back to his home with a wounded reputation or even in exile as well."

"And if we leave? What of Zero?" Desperation marked her words.

"I will take you to him and release him into your care. As for his condition… I'm afraid I can offer you no aid in that." He grimaced.

Yuki swallowed. "I must make a decision quickly, then..."

"Time is of the essence, Princess," Takuma confirmed.

"My Lady, if we leave with Zero, we will have effectively condemned ourselves. It is as good as an admittance of guilt." Hanabusa placed his hand on the princess' shoulder and gave Takuma a measuring look. "We cannot be sure if this is what your cousin wants."

"You're saying it could be a trap, then..."

"Indeed."

Takuma felt the squeeze of the hourglass within his chest. Every moment they wasted here was another moment of escape lost. Before long, Kaname would want to enjoy his new favorite pastime: torturing Zero Kiryuu. And the deeper the night grew, the more suspicious any travelers would be.

"Regardless, you must make your decision now. Time is not a leisure we have, I'm afraid." The green-eyed noble glanced anxiously towards the window, where the sun was touching down against the horizon.

Yuki's hesitation was palpable. He understood all too well. To go would be to tumble headfirst into uncertainty, into danger, and moreover to lose her home and her position. But, to stay... How much worse that fate would be, he could not begin to guess at.

"If we go, we all risk death, and Hanabusa, you would risk your kingdom," the princess finally spoke. "But, if we stay our fate is no different. Worse, perhaps...and to stay means aligning ourselves with my cousin. Lord Takuma, I will heed your words. I pray you do not betray me..." She turned to her knight then. "Hanabusa, I appreciate all that you have done for me and my house. However, I will not command you to go with me... The choice is yours."

The young Aidou lord brushed her words aside. "I swore my allegiance to you and made an oath to protect you. I will not leave your side, My Lady."

"Come quickly, then. Change into your riding garb and a cloak and grab your coin purse as well. You will likely need it..." Takuma counseled.

The princess rushed to do so, Hanabusa momentarily leaving them to do the same in his own chambers and dismiss the knights at the door. Changing took longer than Takuma would have liked, but before long the three were able to leave.

The noble led Yuki and Hanabusa to the entrance to the dungeon, chatting with the princess about silly pleasantries like the weather and her supper. To all outward appearances, he was merely accompanying her as she walked. When they reached the stair that spiraled down into the chilling depths below, however, they had to pause for a moment to ensure that the hall was empty before descending. Takuma was grateful that this dungeon was smaller than the main one adjacent to the barracks. In the past, it had supposedly been used for political prisoners. Regardless, there was no one besides the knight kept there for the time being, and few passerby in the hall.

Takuma led them down the narrow spiral of the dungeon stairs. Dank air greeted them in a fetid waft from below. It seemed as though they had been submerged in a decaying bog. He saw the princess flinch from the corner of his eye as they descended, and grimaced sympathetically. He had felt the same the first time Kaname had brought him down here, and as he stepped onto the flat, stone floor at the bottom of the stairs, he could feel the regurgitation of those same feelings.

With a shudder, he took a torch from one of the sconces along the wall and walked down passage before them, stopping in front of a cell to his left. The cell door had been left open, making the silver knight's condition all the more clear. He could not run, even if he had not been chained to the wall. He did not have the strength to.

Yuki cried out in horror as the image of her knight, manacled and sickly, burned itself into her retinas. Hanabusa, too, let out a choked sound of indignation and shock. Takuma took a deep breath to steady himself as he fumbled for the keys at his belt. The cell and the sight of the broken figure within assaulted his senses physically. Although he had not done this, although he had taken no part in the torture, nor the trial, nor anything else...still, guilt churned within him. He had waited too long to act...

"Zero!" the princess ran to her knight's side, feet a whirlwind of dismay and leather.

Beside him, Hanabusa gave him a grim look, cheeks pinching in somber judgment. Those chill blue eyes seemed to repute him, piercing straight through him like spearheads. The blond knight did not speak, however, instead joining his lady at his comrade's side.

Takuma moved into the cell now, temporarily placing the torch in the sconce there and freeing the appropriate key from its ring. Lord Kuran had no doubt entrusted him with it in order to ensure his presence each night during Zero's torture, he was sure of that now. He passed the key to the blond Bloodguard and once more removed the torch.

"Yuki..." the silver-haired man rasped. As Hanabusa unlocked the chains, Zero stumbled, leaning against his comrade heavily.

"Gather your strength, knight. We have no time," Takuma advised. Violet eyes gauged him, wary. Certainly what he saw was not his rescuer, but rather one of his condemners...

The noble pushed such thoughts away for the moment and instead cautioned, "We must be very quiet and make haste. It is the dinner hour and most of the castle will be occupied with their meals, but there is a high risk that we will be seen. It is growing dark though, and we can use this to our advantage."

He turned to Yuki, "Princess, this place is your home. Do you know of any unused passages that could be of use to us?"

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, obviously preoccupied with the condition of her knight, and then nodded. "Yes. In fact, there's a hidden one nearby."

"Where?"

"At the far end of the hall above us."

"Let's go, then."

As they left the dungeon behind, Takuma stopped to collect the silver knight's sword and belt from the crate of his belongings in the corner. Although it was clearly burdensome, as he was very weak, they had no choice but for Zero to wear both items. As it was, the knight was leaning heavily upon his comrade for support, and it was evident that he would not be able to do so for much longer.

Climbing the stairs back to the main floor of the castle proved an even more arduous task, and for a brief lapse the noble wondered if this escape would be possible at all. It was probable that they had already failed. Nevertheless, he refused to back down now.

Miraculously, the hall above them was empty, and they made it to the far end without being seen. Yuki fortunately wasted no time in stepping forward and activating some hidden mechanism lodged between the grey stones of the wall. The door slid open, and the four entered with haste; Takuma first, as he carried the torch, followed by Yuki and her two knights. The corridor was too narrow for Hanabusa to continue supporting his friend, but fortunately Zero was able to lean against the wall and make progress in this fashion.

The tunnel was poorly lit, and despite the torch that they had brought Takuma still stumbled against the uneven flooring several times. The passage seemed to stretch on endlessly. The only sounds were their footsteps and the anxious undertone of their breaths. They dared not utter a word despite the thickness of the walls. Somehow the silence seemed to cushion the peril of what they did.

"Up there," Yuki whispered at last, and the tunnel came to an end.

Takuma flattened himself against the wall so that Yuki could squeeze past to unlock the mechanism that kept the hidden door shut. He took a moment to glance back at the knight, and swallowed. It was like looking death in the face.

The wall slid aside with the scrape of stone against stone. He recognized where they were. They had come beneath the castle and were now safely outside its walls, along one of the streets of the city.

"What now?" Yuki asked.

"There." He pointed to a blacksmith's forge. The windows to the house were lit, and he assumed the blacksmith was inside supping. There was a small stable however, and he knew that within it would be horses waiting to be shod. He hoped a few had been shod recently. Otherwise, their state might impede escape.

The group cautiously made their way down the street and to the stables. As the smith was likely not to be long eating, the stables hadn't been locked yet for the evening, and they were easily able to enter. To the right, there was a work station with supplies. Earlier in the day it had been raining, and as proof a dirty cloak hung on one of the pegs that protruded from the wall, still drying.

"We're lucky. The blacksmith and his apprentices have left some useful supplies," Takuma gestured to the cloak. He motioned for Hanabusa to follow him. "Come. Check the hooves for new shoes."

Luck was smiling on them this night, indeed. Two of the horses in the stables had new shoes, and a third that they found had shoes that were not in terrible condition. These they saddled. The damp cloak was removed from its peg and given to Hanabusa, who gave Zero his dry one. As a precaution for whatever might lie ahead on the road, the Aidou lord also gathered a few odds and ends from the table: a knife, some candles, flint for fire. They then helped Zero to mount and, using some rope, tied him into the saddle and tethered his horse to the one which Hanabusa would ride so that it would follow. It was clear that Zero would not be able to sit up on his own.

"Isn't this wrong though?" Yuki asked in a hushed voice. "Stealing..."

"Never fear, My Lady. I'll be sure the blacksmith is given adequate compensation." He gave her a thin smile.

He helped the princess into the saddle and lit a pair of lanterns, passing them up to her and the blond knight. "To light your way," he explained. "It will be fully dark soon."

"Thank you," the petite brunette told him sincerely.

"Yes, if we make it out of here alive...thank you," Hanabusa echoed.

"Where will you go?" Takuma asked, a touch worried. If they did not go far enough, if they went too far...

"It's best you don't know that," the knight replied.

"I have a place in mind. We'll be safe there," the princess said.

"Journey safely. I wish you luck...and speed." The noble opened the stable doors.

"Farewell," Yuki murmured, and then the trio was out the door, picking up pace as they headed down the streets.

Not a moment or more after, the blacksmith burst out of the door. "Wait! Thieves!"

Not wasting a moment, Takuma approached him, removing the dagger he kept at his waist. The blacksmith looked at him, startled, and immediately strode forward, quickly picking up a heavy shovel to defend himself.

"I don't intend to fight you. I apologize for the disturbance, but the royal court had need of your animals rather urgently." He held out the dagger, hilt first. Upon it was the emblem of his house. A blacksmith as wealthy as this one, living so close to the castle, was bound to know its significance. "You will be more than recompensed for this, I promise."

The smith took the blade, examining it closely. After a moment, he set down the shovel and remarked, "This is noble craftsmanship indeed. I recognize your family crest, My Lord."

"On my honor, I swear to you that you shall be paid in full for the price of the horses, and any other losses you might have incurred tonight. I will return in the morning to discuss this in full. For now, accept this small sum as an advance payment." He untied the small sack of coins he kept at his belt and offered them to the smith.

The man nodded curtly, handing back the weapon and taking the money. "I will expect you on the morrow, then." He bowed.

"Yes. Thank you."

Without another word, the blond turned and made his way back towards the palace. He held fast to his conviction. His actions were just. However... He paused for a moment to watch the sun dip beneath the horizon. He had still betrayed his lord and friend. Knowing that, he wondered if the morning would indeed come for him.

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 **A/N:** -queues song- Then he said "If you wanna get out alive, whoaaaa run for your life."

-shot- Sorry it just popped into my head.

Hehe LeviHechiou you predicted this weeks ago XDDDD. And at last, we're finally out of the castle! Honestly I kind of consider this the real beginning of the fic... The previous chaps are all this like set up for the rest haha. But! Where do you think Yuki is going? 8D


	19. 19 Maria

**A/N:** Because now that yáll really wanna know about our favorite trio of escapees, ofc I´ve got to be sadistic and make you wait. Bwahahahaha, Happy Halloween! **  
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* * *

 **MARIA**

For many moments, the only sound in the private dining room where the Hio cousins supped was the scrape of silverware and the muffled noises of chewing. Today's dinner was a light meal of fish and salad. The light was already fading from the sky, streaking the canopy of clouds outside with shades of silver and orange. Inside, paper lanterns lit the room. In the center of the room stood the round table at which the two noble women dined. Maria glanced up at her cousin, considering attempting a conversation, but the other lady began before she could find words.

"I received an interesting message today via messenger pigeon." Shizuka inspected her forkful of salad carefully before fixing her younger cousin with her acrid, pale gaze. "It appears that the royal princess Yuki Kuran has disappeared with her Bloodguard and the young lord Hanabusa Aidou in the midst of a trial to determine her honor, leaving the Lord Kaname Kuran as the legitimate and sole heir to the throne."

"How does this affect us?" Maria asked curiously, gesturing to the tall window behind them that revealed a barren, stark grey landscape of mountains and crags. From the window, she could feel the press of cold air inching its way into her bones.

The older noble smiled then, thoughts a mystery as always. "I believe it's time we visit the capital, don't you? It's been far too long since the court has received a Hio visitor. You should inform the servants about our plans and have them prepare your bags."

"For how long?"

"I should think for a long time… A long, long time."

"What purpose will this visit serve?" Her appetite was quickly fading. She had a premonition that visiting Ashgate could only signify misfortune for her.

"I believe it's time I made clear to the soon-to-be new king my intention to remarry. It only seems fitting that a change to the throne should warrant a change in our house as well. What do you think?"

The fork slid from her fingertips. Sound buzzed in her ears like a hornet nest. Her mouth felt as though it had been filled with cotton when she spoke. "Remarriage…to who?"

"You already know to _whom_ , do you not?" Shizuka corrected her, remaining imperturbable and spearing a cherry tomato from the salad, biting into it with pristine, perfect teeth. The juice sprayed out like blood. Maria could no longer see her own plate in front of her.

All of her hopes, every shred of fabric her dreams had woven was unraveling, coming undone before her eyes. Nothing would change, she knew that, but with this nothing could _ever_ change. Ichiru would lawfully, permanently belong to Shizuka, and all of the moments they had shared, all of the impossible possibilities would die, stomped out and left still smoldering in her hands until they finally crumbled into ash. She had expected this, had known it would happen, but she had never been able to prepare herself for it. Her heart had clung to the ragged scraps of hope like a stray dog to a bone, but now there wasn't a single scrap left to cling to. Had she imagined differently? This was the sealing of an inevitable fate. Anything else was foolishness on her part. Her fingers brushed the crystal that hung around her neck. She was a fool.

And still, and still… Still she hoped beyond all hope that Ichiru would suddenly see her, would suddenly love her. If he did not break his affections for her cousin… Her lavender eyes flicked to the other noble lady, who was finishing her salad serenely. If he did not, he would surely die, as Shizuka's first husband had done before him.

Maria had been a young girl when Shizuka had been wed the first time. She had witnessed the cold, aloof noble become emotionally attached for the first time in her life. Shizuka had loved her husband beyond all reason, beyond the boundaries of ordinary love. The power and purity of her devotion to him had inspired him to name her as heir in the event of his death and, additionally, to grant her all of the powers of a lord if he were to die. It was almost unheard of for a woman to assume the position as the head of a household, yet none had questioned his decision, such was the loyalty he inspired in his people.

Shizuka was a creature of ice, of the north. She didn't know how to love, and her love swiftly turned to obsession. She had gone mad with passion, and so when her husband had perished in a blizzard near the Kiryuu village ten years ago, she had gone on a rampage, massacring an entire bloodline, an entire people in her grief. She had murdered all of them, all except for one, or so she had thought. That one, Ichiru, had only been taken because of the promise of power that dwelled in his veins. His brother had been thought dead, and for that accident had been permitted to live.

As a result of her husband's death, the northern lady's idea of love had been twisted into a hatred which she still labeled as love. She despised her husband for leaving her, hated him with a love that still burned strongly. The gentle image of affection that she cultivated for Ichiru was fake, a lie to bind him to her. A lie from which Maria yearned to spare him. The only kind of love her cousin knew now was abhorrence.

"Does Ichiru know?" Maria demanded suddenly as the rose-eyed noble pushed away from the table.

"He has given his consent, yes." Her expression did not change, although Maria might have glimpsed a touch of sympathy there.

"When are we leaving?" What she really wanted to know was, how much time did she have left to convince Ichiru to change his mind?

"In a few days, once the moon starts to wax again. Please be ready at that time."

"Yes, of course."

Her nails dug into the edge of her chair. When Shizuka left the room, she quickly shoved back to chair, knocking it over to the surprise of the servants, and rushed out without a word. She gathered the skirts of her warm wool dress together, holding them high so that she could run unimpeded through the halls. She needed to see Ichiru. She needed to hear him tell her that he had accepted this, that he wanted to become a pawn, a doll for Shizuka to use at her leisure.

It didn't take long for her to find him. Like magnets, they were always drawn together. She always knew where he was, if not consciously, then by some force within her that directed her feet in the right direction. As she had expected, he was on his way out of the library, most likely to eat his own supper. Although she was making no effort to muffle her steps, he seemed oblivious, walking away from her in a cloud of thoughts.

Catching up with him, she called out, "Ichiru!"

The silver-haired scholar halted, smiling at her and seeming to snap out of a daze. "Good evening, Maria. Is something wrong?"

It was now or never. "Yes, actually." She jutted out her chin, making her stance. "Shizuka told me that the two of you are to wed."

He seemed unfazed by her declaration, and the mist of daydreams fogged over his eyes again. "It still seems unreal…"

Her tone was needle-sharp. "You can't marry her."

"What?" Confusion emanated from him visibly.

"You can't. You shouldn't, and I don't want you to." Her eyes glittered like pastel amethysts; beautiful, resolute.

His features softened then, as if perhaps he understood. Her heart fluttered uncertainly in her chest with hummingbird wings. "Maria, I know you're worried for me, but this is the only thing I desire. Even though you say it's dangerous, I want to be by her side."

She shook her head, despair and unanticipated anger momentarily overcoming her. "You don't understand at all! If you want to be by her side then just keeping researching like she wants you to, anything but marriage…"

"I love her," came his simple reply.

"It doesn't matter that you love her." The phrase was harsh, sharpened by the truth that she was trying to convey. "It doesn't matter to her. And…and for me…I want you to be by my side, and if you marry Shizuka I'll lose you entirely."

"You're jealous." He seemed surprised by this. "I won't stop spending time with you as well, even after I'm married to your cousin, don't fear."

"That won't make me happy, Ichiru." She couldn't say it. Her tongue wouldn't form the words, because she knew that once she committed to them she would be equally committed to the harsh rejection that would follow. She needed to tell him how she felt, that she loved him, that she'd loved him all this time… Yet, her mouth was frozen more solid than the ice that capped the mountains. "I don't want her to have you at all."

"Maria, I already told you, I love her and I'm going to marry her." There was no convincing him. "Thank you, but whatever happens will be fine." He started walking away again, obviously desiring an end to their conversation. She, however, could not let this end yet. This was her last effort, her last chance.

Maria clutched his sleeve abruptly, and he came to a stop. The face that he showed to her might have been one of mild annoyance. "She doesn't love you, Ichiru. Why do you torture yourself like this?"

He stepped away from her and her fingers fell away, brittle and lifeless. "She's given me strength, purpose, a home-"

"She's your savior," she bit off the words bitterly. "I know. And me? What am I?"

"You are my family." His response was sincere, if stiff.

"You already have family." She dismissed his words, irritated and flustered. "Your twin brother, who has vanished from the capital. Did you know that?"

The violet eyes shut their doors on her adamantly. "You are the only family I have need of now. In the past, weren't the Hios and the Kiryuus cousins? The Kiryuu line is cursed. You are the part of my family that will live."

"For a while, anyway." She stared down at her frail body. "You may outlive me, but I think it will not be for long. Marrying my cousin is suicide. She became incapable of love, of anything short of complete hatred, when her first husband died."

"She may not love me, but all I need is to be of use to her. Really, Maria…" he trailed off, exasperated.

The air was whirring around her ears. A million fragmented emotions scraped at her skin. She was angry, upset, broken-hearted… Ichiru was beyond her reach. He always had been, from the first moment that he had laid eyes on Shizuka. It was ironically tragic. She wouldn't have met him, wouldn't have loved him, if not for Shizuka; but in a world without Shizuka, their paths would never have crossed. She fought down sudden laughter. It was too much. It was twisting her from the inside out, distorting her until she felt strangely numb, until she almost wanted to be cruel to him.

Instead, she met his eyes evenly, unfaltering. "Don't forget for a moment, Ichiru Kiryuu, that I love you and I'll be waiting for the moment when I can steal you away from her."

Maria Hio turned on her heel and left down the corridor. Let Ichiru marry Shizuka. When he realized the older woman's heart had become a black rotted husk, Maria would still be here, still be waiting. She smiled painfully. It was only a matter of time.

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 **A/N:** Thank you btw for all the lovely reviews guys. They really brighten up my day! A special shout-out to all the anonymous readers- I can´t reply to you directly but I just want to say thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! It really means a lot to me!


	20. 20 Yuki

**YUKI**

Everything hurt. Her toes pinched, her heels felt rough and chafed, and her muscles were so sore that she was hardly aware of anything beyond the pain. Every step seemed burdened with twice her weight. Her mouth was dry and her throat raw from the effort to swallow. The sun seemed to beat down on her with the force of a hammer. Each moment she was convinced that she would falter there, that she couldn't go any further, yet she managed to put down her feet one after the other in a constant rotation of agony. She couldn't remember anymore how long they had been walking. The days had blurred together, one into the next in a long streak without color or distinction.

Between herself and Hanabusa they supported Zero, whose face seemed to mirror her memory of her father's corpse, frigid and drained of life. He struggled forward without complaint, attempting not to require the aid of his companions but unable to do so. Despite his efforts she could feel that he was relying heavily on them, favoring Hanabusa's side, she was sure to spare her, though she continued to pester him to give her more of his weight. Yuki didn't know the extent of Zero's internal injuries, but from the specter of death that lingered over his features, she knew they were grave. They had left the horses behind in a small town at the edge of the Souen lands; with them, the journey would have been much easier and given Zero some much needed respite from walking, but the animals were too large and obvious. They had ridden hard and fast for nearly three days with the horses, and Hanabusa had separated with them for one of those, taking an alternative route to confuse the trail. Now, however, they had no choice but to continue on foot. The three were headed east on foot towards the Wakaba forest realm Virid Wood, home to her childhood friend Sayori and a place where she was sure they would find refuge.

Yuki escaped the harsh reality of her failing body and the endless green landscape for a moment, thinking of her friend. The two of them met up nearly every year at the summer house. The Wakaba family had always been fiercely loyal to the Kurans, and the families had strengthened their ties in this manner. Despite the fact that Yori was not the legitimate child of her father, Lord Hakuba Wakaba, she had been his only daughter for many years until other children had been born, and because the two girls had already become fast friends the summer tradition continued. While apart, Yuki often sent letters to her friend. Although Yori had never met most of the members of the court or even Yuki's Bloodguard, as Zero always remained at the castle and Hanabusa took the time to visit his own family, she was familiar with all of them through Yuki. Yori would already be aware of the situation and presumably ready to assist them. Yuki was sure that she would find allies in the Wakaba household.

"Yuki. Look." She was jolted out of her thoughts by Hanabusa's voice and followed the direction his finger pointed to see a farm in the distance, clearly inhabited from the smoke curling out of the chimney of the house. "It might be in our best interest to see if the people who live here can help us. It would be a risk, but…" From his pause, she knew he was implying Zero's condition.

"Let's get closer and see?" she suggested, though from the way the silver knight's frame was tilting and the rhythm of his breathing she knew that they would probably have no choice.

"At the very least it's removed enough from any village that it would take them some time to raise an alarm. We would be able to hide, if need be…"

"I hope it doesn't come to that," she murmured.

It was dusk when they reached the small, rundown farmhouse. In the central window to the left of the door they could see through to a brightly illuminated though sparse kitchen where dinner was already being laid out. Hanabusa's mouth was set in a grim, worried line. Yuki, too, felt nervous, but it only took one glance at Zero to know he couldn't go much further. His face was ashen, violet eyes accentuated by heavy dark circles. When they stopped on the porch, Yuki could see him brace himself tensely, focusing all of his concentration to maintain his feet.

After a pause in which she could see the blond preparing himself for the worst, Hanabusa gave her a slight nod and knocked on the door. There was a flurry of activity and voices on the other side, and after a moment a petite woman in a smudged apron with large, kind eyes peered at them through the door, which she had only opened an inch. Through the window, three girls, presumably her children, pressed curious faces to the glass.

"May I help you?" the woman asked, brows bunched suspiciously.

"Hello, my apologies for disturbing you at this hour," the knight said formally. "We are mercenaries traveling through the Souen lands, on our way to the capital for a contract. Unfortunately, our companion has been gravely injured after we-"

"Say no more," the woman interrupted quite suddenly, eyes widening. She opened the door, making hurried gestures for them to enter. "Come inside, quickly, before anyone sees you."

Surprised, Hanabusa glanced at Yuki, the need for caution scrolling across his pupils. As they hesitated, however, the woman grew impatient. She grabbed the blond lord's arm and pulled him inside, after which Yuki and Zero entered as well, albeit with reservations. As soon as the three had crossed the threshold, the woman shut the door behind them and shouted for her children to close the curtains on all the windows.

"You are more than welcome in our home, my Lords, Princess." She wiped her hands off on her apron and gave them a reassuring smile when she saw the instant shock and fear that conquered their faces. "Never fear. I know you but I would never betray you. We ourselves are outcasts here. We have built a life for ourselves out of sight. However, it's always wise to exercise caution. I'd prefer if you didn't venture outside without a decent disguise, even if your clothes are a bit dirty…

"Ah, but I'm forgetting myself. My name is Etsuko. My husband Mando is still out with the animals. He'll be in before long. And these," she gestured to the three children who appeared now at the top of the stairs, presumably after shutting the last of the curtains, "are my daughters. Girls," she instructed, "introduce yourselves."

Immediately, the middle of the three girls launched herself down the stairs, announcing proudly, "My name is Emiri. I'm 7 years old."

"Nice to meet you, Emiri," Yuki grinned, relieved at the normalcy of this family despite her fatigue. She was glad, also, that the mother seemed to have no need for formalities. Her shoulders felt less burdened when she no longer had to worry about politics or outward appearances.

"I'm Sana," the eldest said guardedly, descending the stairs with more reservations than her younger sister.

"She's 12," the other girl supplied, for which she was rewarded with a glare. "And that's Miya. She's 3." Emiri pointed to the top of the stairs, where the smallest child was still hiding behind the bannister.

Yuki giggled. "She's cute."

"She's cute, but I'm the cutest," Emiri informed her, making her giggle more.

Etsuko shook her head. "That's quite enough. You girls prepare the table. As for you three, you must be exhausted. I'll show you where you can wash up and give you some clean clothes to change into. Your knight will have to stay down here on the cot in the little storage room off the kitchen… I don't think he can make it up the stairs. And the two of you will have to share Sana and Emiri's room. We don't have much space, I'm afraid. You'll have to excuse my manners, by the way… I'm not used to the ways in Ashgate and any guest in my house is treated the same, even if they are royalty." She winked, and finally Yuki saw Hanabusa relax and smile. Obviously he had decided that they were safe here.

While her daughters finished setting out dinner, Etsuko showed the three to the wash room and their respective rooms. Yuki relinquished custody of Zero over to the other knight, trying her best not to worry too much about his injuries. The farm woman had promised to examine the silver-haired knight and help to the best of her abilities, and at the present there was nothing else that could be done. Nevertheless, Yuki couldn't seem to erase the outline of his face from her mind, strained with effort from trekking over so many miles and hiding the pain that she knew he had to be suffering. Her adopted father had died with less, and if she were too lose Zero, too… The thought wrenched open her insides.

It didn't take long for the three to wash and change. The two knights finished first, and as soon as Yuki had finished scrubbing away all of the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the last few days she quickly joined them in the makeshift bedroom, where Etsuko was already in the process of examining Zero. She hovered in the doorway, afraid to step inside and see the damage that had been wrought on one of her closest friends. If he was dying, if there was nothing that could be done for him… Her feet somehow were moving her further into the room. As she stopped at the foot of the bed she felt Hanabusa's hand on her shoulder, a quiet comfort that she drew enough strength from to face the reality of the situation, no matter how it might result.

She forced herself to truly look at the silver-haired knight. His face was devoid of color, bleached white as bone and highlighted with blackish purple circles under his now almost grey eyes. There was not a single trace of physical damage on his skin, which seemed to perplex Etsuko as she lightly ran her hands over his arms and chest, her mouth drawn to one side in bafflement. Beneath the pallor of his skin, his veins seemed to stand out, blue rivulets running across a field of ash. Unconsciously, Yuki's fingers gripped frame of the door, betraying her fears. It was just as the head doctor in the palace had always said: "If you can see it, you can fix it." Only they couldn't see it, and what if they couldn't fix it…? Her mouth had gone dry, her tongue like sandpaper.

The moments dug into her flesh, each one of them agony. Zero passed back and forth between sleep and wakefulness, only fighting his weariness at the urging of Etsuko, who informed him that he needed more water and some food before he could be allowed to rest. She had not offered any diagnosis. The wait was torturous. At last, however, she stood rather abruptly and turned toward Yuki and Hanabusa. The princess tensed, knuckles trembling against the wood.

"He'll be alright, I think," the farm woman announced.

Relief infused every cell in her body. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I don't see any evidence of internal bleeding and I don't think anything's broken. Mostly he just needs rest, I'd say."

Yuki gazed down at the knight and felt every string of her heart pull simultaneously. This was the second time in far too short an interval that she had seen Zero so close to death. She never wanted to see him this way again, for as long as she lived. She might be weak, but she wanted to protect this man. He was one of the few precious people that she had left. Perhaps, even, the most precious of all…

After that, Etsuko confined Zero to the bed in the cramped room behind the kitchen and reported that in spite of her analysis of his condition, without a doctor it was impossible for her to know the extent of the internal damage. Nevertheless, she seemed confident that rest and care and some herbal remedies should be of service and that he should recover without issue, as his heartrate and blood pressure seemed to her to be relatively normal. She mixed him a bitter-smelling concoction that he was forced to swallow down and the two older daughters brought him a plate of food that he was able to partially consume, which Etsuko took as a good sign. So confident was the woman that Yuki felt her fears assuaged enough to join them at the table and leave the knight to sleep.

"We'll eat when my husband arrives, which should be quite soon, I imagine. It's already dark. In the meantime, would you like some iced tea?" Etsuko asked after they had settled onto the long wooden benches that lined the table.

"Yes, please." Yuki nodded, watching the ice clink in the glass pitcher with thirsty eyes.

A fit of giggling broke out across the table, followed by a swift glance from the oldest girl towards Hanabusa. The knight raised an eyebrow and smirked at Yuki, who immediately felt like groaning. She really hated his good looks. How big was his ego now, anyway? She was sure the Nine Kingdoms altogether couldn't hold it.

"He's so handsome," Yuki heard Sana whisper to her younger sister. The lord seated at her side suppressed a grin, feigning fascination with his plate.

"No way!" Emiri whisper-shouted back. "Did you see the other knight? He's sick but super handsome!"

Yuki pressed her hands against her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Hanabusa muttered to her, "See, age brings wisdom. The oldest one knows best." Yuki rolled her eyes. If she were going to agree with either one of them, she would have to agree with the middle child. Zero was, after all- She stopped herself suddenly. She should't think like that.

"The blond one is dreamy," Sana argued, eyes flicking once more to his face.

"It seems your guards have fans," Etsuko whispered to her with a chuckle. "I told them you were travelers, by the way. Children have a way of talking, you know."

"That's perfect," Yuki agreed. Hanabusa nodded as well, saying, "We're in your debt. Thank you."

The girls were interrupted from further swooning over the two men, however, when the door opened. From her seat at the table, Yuki could see that the father of the family was a short, muscular man with jet black hair. His clothes bore the marks of his trade: dirt and animal hair. Despite that, upon seeing her husband, Etsuko raced into the entrance hall and launched herself into his arms, kissing him passionately in front of her guests and children. Yuki averted her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Such a display of affection was not the norm in the palace; in fact, it would have been frowned upon. At the same time… She glanced their way again, trying not to listen to the sappy sentences that were emanating from the pair. At the same time, there was a part of her that was envious of this open, unrestricted love. It was a kind of love she could never know.

"Darling, we have guests," she heard Etsuko say. "Travelers. Their companion is injured. They've come quite a long distance and are exhausted so I invited them to stay. Come meet them."

The pair moved into the kitchen, where the man introduced himself after a long, hard look at both of them. "I'm Mando. If my wife has allowed ya to dine at our table, then I should trust her that you´re good people. You're welcome here." Unlike Etsuko, it seemed Mando didn't recognize her or Hanabusa for who they were.

Mando sat at the table, and Etsuko begin serving out the food, a hearty stew of chicken and vegetables. Between the aromas and the setting and the laughter Yuki felt a strange tug at her heart. This was a real home, a real family. All of them were here, the parents in love and free to follow their own path, the children with their parents… It was the kind of home that she desired in the furthest, most hidden recesses of her heart, and against all probability that part of her refused to relinquish that dream.

For this night, she could pretend that she belonged here, that the problems that plagued her were but distant nightmares. With that in mind, she dug into her stew, giving herself over to the conversation and letting herself relax. She wanted to enjoy this time, because in an instant the momentary happiness that she had found could be snatched away again.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know it´s kind of a crappy chapter but at least we know where they're going!


	21. 21 Ruka

**RUKA**

Her gaze swept across the wide, open throne room lined with large marble columns. During the winter, the interior walls of the chamber were covered with extravagant tapestries and the floors with carpets, but now they were a bare, unwelcoming grey in the rapidly warming season. Today a multitude of nobles thronged the room, clustered before the large, elaborately carved throne of wood trimmed with gold and precious gems. The princess' smaller chair had been removed and instead the assassin Seiren stood silent watch in its place. At the base of the dais ringed the chosen guards of Lord Kuran, standing at rigid attention. Ruka imagined they must be dreadfully bored. She noted as well that the lord's close companion Takuma Ichijou seemed almost apprehensive, and Kaname had not turned to acknowledge his friend even once. She wondered briefly if something had happened between them, though the thought dwindled quickly.

Before long, her eyes had refocused once again on the young lord seated on the throne. It seemed to Ruka that Kaname had grown even more handsome now that he was within her grasp again. His eyes glowed, his hair shone; his whole figure radiated brilliance. She was dazzled. Let Yuki stay lost. Ruka was the woman more fit to be queen and, more importantly, to stand by Lord Kaname's side. She had been among the first to step forward and announce her intention to support his claim for the throne in the aftermath of the trial and subsequent disappearance of the princess and her knights. Many others had done the same, but Ruka prided herself in being the true first, at least in her heart if not in actuality.

Today marked the passing of a week since the princess had fled the capital and, despite Kaname's efforts to locate her and bring her home, she had not been found. Today, many undecided members of the nobility were coming forward to pledge their loyalty, among them Akatasuki Kain, who had confessed to her his deep-seated fear and reluctance about the matter. He had asked her not to be so hasty in her decision to follow Kaname, as he felt ill at ease with the situation and disliked the turn of events, but Ruka assumed this had more to do with his preoccupation for his cousin than anything else. However, Ruka had little thought for traitors, which was what Hanabusa had become now, and refused to listen. She only wished to pursue perfection, and that was Kaname Kuran.

The red haired knight stepped forward now, kneeling and offering the lord his sword. She could see the reluctance still glued in his eyes, but he uttered the words all the same. "I, Akatsuki Kain, pledge my life and my sword to your service. I swear that I shall serve you until my death or until I am dismissed from your service."

"Thank you," Kaname repeated the words that he had given to every courtesan. "I humbly accept your vow and your service."

Akatsuki rose, sheathing his sword and returning to his place among the nobility. As he did so, his eyes flicked to hers momentarily, solemn and unreadable. She looked away, back to the dark-haired noble that reclined in the throne. She had already heard the knight's words of warning and had already chosen her own path. In the end, she would be the one to have stood by Kaname's side from the very start.

The pledges droned on. Ruka preoccupied herself with alternating between staring at Lord Kuran and examining the apparel of the other noble women. She always prided herself on her wardrobe, and in order to remain at the top it was important to investigate the competition. This afternoon she was wearing a gown of light saffron chiffon that clung to her curves with a near transparent shimmer, accentuating the lines of her hips and breasts. She had chosen the outfit with the intention of being a figure that demanded attention, and she had succeeded. Many of the noble men had already displayed signs of interest in her. Her only goal now was to draw the beautiful Lord Kuran's attention. At the moment, though, there was no way for her to gracefully achieve this.

When at last the nobility had ceased coming forward and Ruka had finished critiquing the hairstyles as well as the dresses of each and every visible noblewoman, Kaname finally stood, signaling his preparation to leave. She blew out a short breath. She had worn this gown for nothing if he did not see it.

"My Lords, my Ladies," the young lord addressed the entire hall, "I thank you all sincerely for your trust and your loyalty. I pray that I do not disappoint you in the days to come. I also pray that your confidences will not be needed and that the princess will soon be home…" His face reflected the appropriate amount of sorrow. She frowned internally. Yuki was a week gone, and she, Ruka Souen, was right here in front of him in a stunning masterpiece of clothing.

Those dark eyes seemed to stare straight through her, over the crowd. "I have a second piece of news to share," he continued. "To make her own personal pledge, the Lady Shizuka Hio will soon be arriving in the next few weeks. I hope that she will be received well during her stay here."

Once he had finished relaying this information, he bowed formally to the court and exited the throne room. As he passed, Ruka feigned a cough to draw his attention. She would not allow him to merely walk out without a second glance at her. To her glee, she saw his eyes dart over to her, but they were brewing with thunderclouds that instantly burned through her momentary joy. Rejection threatened to rise up again, hot and fierce in her chest, but she fought it down. This was nothing. Nothing. Even the trembling of her lower lip meant nothing at all. She shut her eyes as the lord vanished from sight.

The nobility began to file out around her, but Ruka remained rooted in place, despondent. Even without Yuki here, perhaps her endeavor was hopeless. Worse, her parents had been sending her letters recently, and it seemed they were growing impatient for her to enter an engagement. And now, just when she had finally monopolized Kaname as the most eligible woman at court, Shizuka Hio was arriving. If Shizuka pursued the young lord, she would assuredly make an excellent match for him. Ruka was certain that, as with the disappeared princess, Kaname would see the benefits to it. She was powerless. She wasn't an heir, nor held a claim to the throne… She might have been rich and beautiful, but beyond that, what did she have..?

"Ruka," Akatsuki's baritone voice broke through her depression, and she opened her eyes. The two nobles were among the last ones left in the room.

"My apologies," she murmured, casting away her train of her thoughts and putting on a smile. "I was lost in thought."

"Lord Kaname?" His face was an impervious mask, neutral and composed. She hated that. Even with all the years that she had known Akatsuki, he could still shut her out whenever he chose.

"What if it was?" she demanded, irked. Immediately, she brushed him aside, making for the doors to the chamber.

She heard him give a small sigh, though she refused to turn to acknowledge him. She wanted to be alone. His footsteps hounded her, however, and finally he said, "I pledged my loyalty to him, but… Please, Ruka, be cautious. I don't trust him."

"You already told me this." Her shoes clicked against the smooth stone floor, marking out every second of her time that the knight wasted with his futile worrying.

A beat of silence. She had delayed whatever he was going to say. Then, "With the king, the princess, and my cousin gone, I have no purpose here other than you. My brother may wish for me to stay, but if you were to leave the capital I would return home."

She heaved a sigh of her own, pivoting to face him now. "What are you trying to say?" A hand moved to perch itself on her hip.

Something ignited in his eyes. An emotion, at last, even if she couldn't decipher it. She thought perhaps it might have been frustration. Well, let him be frustrated. She was, too, with the whole situation.

"I'm trying to say that my sword serves you first and foremost," his tone was flat.

"I don't need your protection, Akatsuki." Abruptly, she was completely exasperated. Was this how all of the court viewed her? A helpless little girl? What did she have to do to prove her worth as a woman? She could protect herself.

His eyes were unreadable. She understood implicitly that he was disagreeing and hissed out, "I don't need anyone looking out for me. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, Ruka." A sad smile overtook his lips now, confounding her. "I only don't want to see you hurt."

Confused, she pursed her lips and said, "Well…thank you… But, honestly, just leave it alone. At some point you'll have to trust in Kaname and accept him as the king. And, hopefully, with me as the queen!" She tossed her hair and felt a surge of confidence after this assertion. "I will make Kaname Kuran see me, whether he likes it or not. This is a declaration of war." She smirked. "Just wait and see, Akatsuki. I always get what I want."

"That you do." The traces of melancholy lingered around the edges of his features. Fortunately, Ruka had long ago given up understanding his sudden bouts of downheartedness.

"Let's go have some tea and cake," she suggested on a sudden whim. "I feel like celebrating."

"Celebrating what?"

"My early victory, of course," she replied smugly. "And, I suppose, Kaname's imminent crowning as the king to the Nine Kingdoms."

The honey-haired noble didn't await the knight's response. Instead, she immediately headed off in the direction of the kitchens in search of a servant to attend her need. Shizuka Hio was a threat, just as Yuki had been, and if Ruka let a mere threat impede her then she truly was the lesser woman and undeserving of a man as flawless as the Lord Kaname. None of these other noble women mattered. She, Ruka Souen, would be the victor in the end. She was sure of it.

* * *

 **A/N:** LALALA What was that? You wanted Yuki and the knights? WELP. -SHOT- Jk they're coming next week -spoiler alert!-

Ruka is right. Kaname is perfect. If by perfect she means...perfectly awful... =P But I guess Ruka also doesn't realize all that's going on either so I'll cut her some slack. Anyway, review! 3


	22. 22 Zero

**ZERO**

He had thrown it away. Erased it, scratched it out, scribbled over it. The feelings which wove together into the tapestry of his heart had been destroyed. Each thread had been unraveled, demolished, one by one. With every breath drawn in darkness, with every termination of innocent life, with every blood splattered victory…each one had eaten away like moths at that tapestry until there had been nothing left. He had been a husk, a walking corpse. Like that, he could have served Yuki mindlessly, efficiently, with no risk to her, without these all-consuming, venomous emotions…

But she had woven him back together. She had threaded the needle that was her smile and she had begun to sew, just a little bit, day after day, until he was finally put back together. Until his heart beat again and the tapestry, though patched and worn, was once again whole. He didn't require much. Even compared to eating, sleeping, breathing, he just wanted to be near her and for her to be happy. He lived because of her, he lived for her. And the revival of those massacred emotions had fueled the fire that Kaname Kuran had begun to rage against Yuki.

Zero himself might not be the core of the rotting apple that her lord cousin had planted in the court, but he was certainly one of its seeds. His ill-fated love and inability to quash it had given the entire court reason to doubt their princess. He was a curse, and the blight that he brought with him had spread to the palace, to the girl he loved. Simply by being near him she was in danger, because of who he was and the blackness that stalked closer behind him than his shadow.

Consciousness was calling on him, throwing grey light against the backs of his eyelids like spears. The confusion that followed was muted, cast against a backdrop of shifting, jumbled images that cut ragged edges against one another. He could remember being in the palace, the horrific bloody scenes of the prison cell, a blur of green grass and trees and a little-traveled road… More immediately in his surroundings, the mattress on which he lay was stiff and strange. The smells of the room were strange as well, thick with cooking spices and herbs. Part of him remained locked in the cell beneath the palace, and the other part strove to awaken in this new space.

When he at last broke the surface of consciousness, the sphere of his awareness had expanded. Beyond the unfamiliar room and the discomfort of his aching body he could sense something more there with him. There was a warmth near him, a nostalgic source of strength that grounded his entire being. Before he looked, he knew Yuki was there beside him, her small, soft hands enveloping his own and supplying all the medicine he needed. This petite, slender girl held within her more energy, more vitality than anyone else he knew. He could feel that force radiating out from her and soaking into his skin.

Opening his eyes in the dim lighting from the dusty skylight overhead, he moved his head so that he could see the princess. A dull throbbing pain manifested itself at even this simple movement, though it wasn't enough to impede him from doing so. Yuki had fallen asleep in an uncomfortable wooden chair by the bed, head pillowed against the mattress with tension lining her face. For an instant he was almost overpowered by the urge to pull her into his arms so that she might sleep beside him. In the instant that followed, however, he was reminded again by the stabbing futility of his feelings and the impossibility of his desires. This girl was as far beyond him as the stars. A light that he could see but never touch. Even though he could never become anything more to her than a knight or a friend, all that he had, all that he was made of, he would give her completely, until the end of time…

The ache in his head, ebbing in and out like the tide, brought him wholly back into his reality. Abruptly he could remember the seemingly endless miles that they had fled across to the farmhouse in which they now hid. They had become traitors or refugees; he still wasn't sure which… It didn't matter, though. This was his fault. Why they were here, why they had chosen to run… It was because of him, because he had broken each and every boundary that he had come across that lie between them. If he had only kept his distance, if he had never befriended this girl, this might never have happened. There would have been no suspicion that would have warranted a trial. He deserved everything that Chomei had done to him. He deserved far worse. It was because of him that Yuki had lost her home.

Those chocolate eyes flickered open, vague with sleep for a moment before they focused on his. She was suddenly sitting up with an exclamation of, "Zero!" The happiness that broke across her face brought a bittersweet wave of his own happiness and all of the guilt that followed. "You're awake! Etsuko said you wouldn't recover for weeks, but you're awake, I'm so glad. I was so worried…" Her forehead pinched together, though was quickly smoothed over by a dazzling smile. "Welcome back!"

Amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth, though he resisted its pull. "I was never gone…" he murmured.

"You healed really fast, Etsuko was so surprised."

His breath stilled in his chest. She had noticed, then. Noticed the symptoms of his monstrosity, the tainted blood that ran through his veins. The Kiryuus were inhuman and they had been eradicated from this world like vermin. He was no different than that: vermin, a creature that did not deserve to live. What would she think of him now, having seen the strange capability that only underlined the humanity he lacked…? His eyes searched her face for some hint of her thoughts, but only encountered the relief and worry that he already knew were there.

He shrugged to the best of his ability in reply. His muscles felt stiff. How long had he been lying here? How many days had passed? He loathed his own weakness. If he had been strong enough to endure, Yuki wouldn't have had to worry.

"How are you feeling?" the princess asked anxiously.

"Fine. I'm fine," he muttered. She shouldn't preoccupy herself with him. He wasn't whole and never had been; a blind and pale creature that had wriggled upwards from the darkness. When would she realize that he was a monster? What would he have to do for her to realize that? Already he had infected her with his curse, simply by being near him…

She bit her lip, and he felt her fingers squeeze tighter around his hand. She still hadn't released him. He knew that he had hurt her with his response, but what other choice did he have? If she didn't distance herself from him, and soon, the darkness that pooled around him might begin to seep further and further into her skin.

"Don't worry about me," he drove the knife of his words deeper, removing his hand from her grasp, even though his flesh instantly longed for her touch again. "It's better for you to stay away from me."

"Zero…" Her fingers curled into her hands. "Why..? Why do you always try to push me away? I told you before, I'm on your side-"

"Leave me. You'll lose your home because of me." He swallowed. She had begun to lose her reputation, even before they had fled. And then, because they had rescued him, because of the love he was unable to forget…because of that, she might have lost her home, as well. Any tears that Yuki shed now would be his fault. It was more than he could bear. Even if he never saw her again, as long as he knew she was happy somewhere, and smiling…that would be enough.

Her hands wrapped around his again, and when he attempted to pull away she only held on tighter. She shook her head, her lips tilting upwards into a melancholic half-smile. "Zero, the palace is not my home…" Those brown eyes met his, binding him in place with a power far greater than any magic. "It was my home while my adopted father was alive, but now that he's gone…" She blinked rapidly for a moment, eyes wet. "Now my home is with you. You and Hanabusa are the only family I need now, the only home I want. Without you there, it wouldn't be a home at all." She took a breath, though a thin line of moisture escaped her control and wound its way down the curve of her cheek. "We're a team, Zero. I don't know how many times I need to keep telling you that."

A thousand sentiments constricted around his heart. The urge to hold her, to kiss away her tears. That was something he could not give in to; a perilous ledge from which at any moment he might plummet to his death. At the same time, her words pierced through him, hot and sharp. A smirk pushed at the space behind his lips. He was only that, anyway, to her. Family… It was better that way, but he couldn't stop the terrible burning sensation that coursed through him.

Trapped, he could only say, "I don't want to endanger your life any more than I already have…" His voice was heavy, the words like iron balls in his mouth.

"If anything, I'm the one who put you in danger." Guilt and regret warred for dominance across the planes of her face. "If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't have harmed you at all."

"That doesn't make sense," he contradicted her, almost gently.

"It does," she insisted disconsolately. "Since the beginning Kaname only wanted the throne. It was so obvious that even I understood his intentions. I never thought that he would go so far. I didn't realize what he was capable of or what could happen… It was because I underestimated him…and because I didn't truly grasp the game I was involved in… Because of that, you were put in danger and hurt like this." She besieged him with a pleading face, begging for him to understand her.

"And if you go back now and leave me behind, perhaps you and Hanabusa would still have a place there. You're the princess and he's the heir to the Aidou lands. Your cousin can't hurt either of you," he argued stubbornly.

She shook her head again, and this time there was a touch of fire to her eyes as she answered with vehemence, "I don't want to go back. I don't want to see him ever again. Not after what he's done…"

A prolonged silence steeped the atmosphere of the room. The air had gone still, holding its breath. Zero hung in between the seconds, unsure of what to say. More than anything, he wanted to rotate his hand to twine his fingers through hers in a small sign of comfort that he didn't know how to convey with words.

Abruptly, Yuki stood up. "You must be hungry, though. You haven't been able to properly eat for days now. Etsuko made some soup for you. It should still be over the fire to stay hot."

"It's fine," the knight dismissed her offer instantly. He couldn't bother the princess with something as visceral as this.

"I'm getting you some food. Stay put." She was already making a beeline for the door.

"It's really fine…"

"I'll be right back." She ignored him, disappearing into the kitchen before he could protest further. A second later, her head popped back into the room. "And for the millionth time, I'm not leaving you!" she exclaimed. She then vanished once again.

From his place in the tiny room, Zero could hear the clatter of dishware. He frowned, wishing that he wasn't restricted to the narrow mattress. Under normal circumstances, he would never have allowed Yuki to bring him food. He didn't have much choice in the matter at the present time, though, and the princess was obviously aware of it.

A moment later, Yuki appeared again, carrying a ceramic bowl of steaming liquid. She beamed at him happily and settled back into the chair, careful not to spill a single drop of the soup. She had thoughtfully chosen a wooden spoon, as well, which wouldn't hold heat as well as a metal one, making it easier for him to eat.

"You can just leave it on the chair," he told her.

She glared at him. "Let me take care of you for once."

"I'm fine, I can eat it myself," he grumbled unhappily. It wasn't right that the princess should be ministering to her knight. He should be the one serving her.

"You're right, you can," she replied cheerfully. "Except that I won't let you. Can you sit up a little?"

"My Lady…" he began.

"Yuki," she cut in. "We're in disguise now, remember? No one can know who we are, at least not until we reach The Vale in Virid Wood."

A strange feeling touched over his heart. To call her by her name…it was something that he longed for, and something that he could never give in to. To avoid answering, he acquiesced to her first request, sitting up to the best of his ability. The sharp downward angle of his mouth advertised his disgruntlement.

"Open wide," she instructed, holding out the spoon. She was rewarded with a glower and laughed. "Just kidding. Here." She placed the bowl in his lap. "Do you want some water?"

"I'm fine," came the immediate reply.

"I'll be right back." She had stood up before he had even finished with his sentence.

Zero almost argued with her until he saw the contentment that sparkled in her eyes like flecks of starlight. The happiness that she exuded was transparent, far outweighing his discomfort. If it was within his power, he wanted to ensure that she preserved the feeling for the rest of her life. Even though it was a dream, he found himself unable to let go of the desire to monopolize that radiant smile and those infinite, chocolate-brown eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.

-shot-

Review!


	23. 23 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

The morning was a peaceful one, accented with birdsong and the scent of flowers and grass that drifted in from the open windows. Etsuko had gone out early to buy supplies in the nearest town, which was a little less than three miles away. The outing, she had informed them, would take up a substantial portion of the day, and therefore she had set them about doing chores. Zero had at last left the confines of the tiny bedroom behind the kitchen and been assigned babysitting duty with the two youngest children. The oldest had gone with her mother to help with the shopping. As she had some experience with various forms of sewing back at the palace, Yuki was given a pile of clothes that needed repairs, and Hanabusa himself had been set to cleaning the kitchen. It was fairly easy, mindless work, and despite his usual aversion to manual labor, he was glad for any distraction. They had spent too many days here idly, and every day that they lingered was another chance for Kaname's men to find them.

As he occupied himself with sweeping the wide wooden beams that compromised the floor, the blond caught Yuki staring at him from her seat at the far end of one of the benches that lined the table. "What?" he arched an eyebrow at the princess, leaning against the broom.

"Nothing," she said, a little too quickly. Then, with a giggle, "Well, it's just I would never have picturing you doing chores so normally…"

He shrugged one shoulder casually. "I'm practicing."

"Practicing what?" she asked skeptically.

He winked at her. "To sweep the ladies of the Nine Kingdoms off their feet."

Yuki groaned and rolled her eyes, instantly losing interest and returning to her own chore. Hanabusa grinned to himself and resumed his task as well. He was looking forward at least in part to this excursion of theirs, despite the danger it represented. Although Ashgate was a sprawling, prosperous place, he was sure that he would come across far more beautiful and interesting women than what the city had to offer him. He had been growing bored. All of the courtesans were more or less the same. He needed to look no further than Lady Ruka to know that at their cores they were all equally shallow and petty. He snorted, sweeping the ashes into the small bin Etsuko had given him. They had been an enjoyable pastime, but the ladies of the court didn't seem to hold his attention anymore.

Speaking of… He glanced up at Yuki, tapping his fingers against the handle of the broom. It was fun to tease her; in fact, it was one of his favorite pastimes. He almost always provoked a reaction from her, and fortunately she was already smitten with the silver-haired knight and there was no risk that she might develop an attraction for him, which gave him complete freedom to act and speak as he pleased around her. The princess was one of his closest friends…and favorite victims.

With that in mind, he remarked nonchalantly, "Who are we going to see in Virid Wood again? That friend of yours…"

Yuki scrunched her eyes together, staring closely at the stitching on the blouse she was holding before answering, "Yori?"

"That's the one… You talk about her all the time… Is she pretty? Available?" Yuki would definitely get defensive over her closest female friend. He waited patiently.

…And was disappointed. The princess laughed, clearly amused. The blond scowled at her, annoyed with her less than desired response. "Yes to both," she replied, mouth still struggling with laughter. "But trust me. She won't be impressed with you one bit."

He narrowed his eyes at her, displeased. "Please. There is no woman alive immune to this face. Or my charming personality." Whatever Yuki said, her friend was human, after all, and there was no human woman he had met who was completely unaffected by his presence.

"Whatever you want to believe." She didn't even deign to look at him. "When we arrive you'll see for yourself."

Irritation ticked beneath his skin. "Should we make a wager?"

The brunette girl snickered and agreed instantly, "Okay. If I'm right then you have to obey one request of mine, whatever it is, unconditionally and without complaint."

Ha. As if that would happen. Yuki may have been overly confident, but Hanabusa was even more so. He would be completing no requests. "And if I'm right, you have to do the same." He smirked to himself, already planning her punishment. Perhaps something involving her knight… Yuki could use a shove to confront her with her own feelings.

"Deal." She sealed the bet quickly and began to hum under her breath as she finished the blouse and started on a new item of clothing.

Unfazed by her self-assurance, Hanabusa emptied the dust bin, preoccupied with his early-blossoming machinations. He didn't understand how two people so obviously in love could be so completely blind to it. At least Zero was aware that he was in love with the princess. The same couldn't be said for the petite girl currently sewing with her tongue protruding from her mouth in intense concentration. She knew it, deep down, but she was in denial. He paused, abruptly struck by the strange scene that had unfolded today: himself sweeping, the princess sewing, and the other Bloodguard attending the farmer's children. As he put away the broom, he thought how peculiar it was that he should be doing this at all, and even stranger still that he was enjoying himself.

The blond watched his friends for a moment. If he removed himself from the scene, they almost looked like a family. The knight, still recovering from his injuries, was attempting to read a storybook to the youngest of the children, who was perched on his lap. Her older sister Emiri, however, was seated on the bench beside them chatting a mile a minute, beside herself to be so close to what might have been her first crush.

"It looks like Zero is already developing his own fan club right here." The lord called over sarcastically from the other side of the kitchen, "Comfy, Zero?"

The silver knight favored him with a glower.

"Zero, story, story!" the little one insisted as soon as she saw that she had momentarily lost his attention, tugging the knight's ear as her sister babbled on, "Whenever Father takes us to the market with him, his friends are always going on and on about how handsome their sons are, but they don't know what they're talking about. I bet you're ten…no…a hundred times more handsome than all of them! A thousand!"

Hanabusa and Yuki chuckled in unison. The blond walked over, folding his arms and asking with mock-seriousness, "What about me? Aren't I handsome, too?"

Emiri broke off her stream of speech in surprise. Then, matter-of-factly, "My sister thinks so. She's stupid. Zero is _beautiful._ " She thought about this for a moment. "Well. I mean, I guess you probably are handsome, too. Don't feel bad. It's just Zero is, like, prince-level handsome!"

Yuki was failing to control her muffled laughter in her corner, and even Zero showed a trace of emotion from the slight upward curve of his mouth and the lightening of his eyes. Hanabusa couldn't help but grin at the girl. The irony of the situation was that he was much closer to that title than the knight, and most of the ladies in the court would have been more in line with her older sister's thoughts, anyway. He didn't bother to correct the girl, though. It was far more amusing to watch his companion knight under the pressure of a blatant childhood infatuation.

"Don't worry, you're probably handsome, Hanabusa," Yuki teased, "Probably. But probably isn't going to be enough to win our bet. Prepare yourself!"

"We'll see about that," he countered immediately. Then, analyzing the princess' favorite Bloodguard and noting his speedy recovery, he commented, "I think we'll see quite soon."

The petite brunette beamed at this, nodding her agreement. "Within a few days we should be able to continue. Once Zero feels better." Hearing this, the silver knight cast a look her way which stated clearly that he would have already been dressed and ready to leave had she desired this, but Yuki ignored him.

Emiri understood the import of their words as well and immediately threw her arms around the injured knight, crying, "You can't leave!"

"You mean Zero can't leave." Hanabusa chuckled.

"We'll come back," Yuki promised.

"You have to," the girl informed them seriously. "You have to, because I'm going to marry him someday."

The blond lord and the princess dissolved into a fit of laughter that could not be restrained even under the pressure of Zero's pained expression. Someday, Hanabusa wanted to laugh together like this in the palace again. There was a freedom here in this forgotten country house that was denied to them at court, that much was true, but beneath the thin veneer of transitory peace that they had established here, he couldn't shake the knowledge that Yuki's home had been stolen from her. He wanted to win it back for her. That city and those stone grey walls were where she belonged, where she had been raised. It was her rightful place, and Kaname Kuran was an usurper and a traitor to expel her from it. As her friend and sworn knight, Hanabusa had pledged himself to her service. It was a blood oath, a promise that bound his very life to her above all others. Although the words of the oath had sworn him only to protect her, he valued Yuki's happiness with almost equal weight. She had been one of his closest friends and companions for six years now, and beyond that, she was the only ruler of the Nine Kingdoms that he would recognize. Therefore, from this moment forward, he would do all that was within his power to see Yuki restored to her place in the palace. This was the solemn renewal of his vow. He only prayed that the three of them would survive to fulfill it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ok hear me out. But what about... Mean Girls meets VK. Yori comes to a new school where Ruka is Regina and Yuki and Rima are her sidekicks. Just imagine the quotes.

Yuki (talking to Yori): If you're from Cross Academy, why aren't you a vampire?

Rima: Oh my God, Yuki, you can't just ask people why they aren't a vampire!

OR LIKE...

Yuki: You know who's looking fine tonight? Kaname Kuran.

Rima: You did NOT just say that.

Yuki: Why? He's a good kisser.

Rima: He's your cousin.

Yuki: Yeah, but he's my first cousin O3O. -dumb-

Rima: ...

OK LAST ONE I SWEAR

Ruka: So you're like, really pretty.

Yori: Thank you.

Ruka: So you agree?

Yori: What?

Ruka: You think you're really pretty?

Yori, in her head, 'Da fuq is this school?'

OK I'M DONE SORRY LOL


	24. 24 Takuma

**TAKUMA**

At last, after what had seemed an eternity waiting for some confrontation, for some indication of emotion from his lord, Kaname had finally broken his silence. The Kuran lord had not uttered one word to him after he had aided the princess' escape. When Kaname had learned that it was him, it had been as if all recognition, all friendship towards the Ichijou lord had drained from his eyes. Instead, they had been frozen with impenetrable ice. Takuma had still attended him, stood beside him when they went to court, and yet not one word that he had spoken had been heeded by the Kuran noble. No attempt at conversation or apology had been reciprocated, though neither had the blond been drug to the cells as he had expected.

It had been a tremendous surprise when Kaname had appeared at his door only moments before. The dark-haired man had simply entered and moved to sit in one of the soft peach chairs that had been arranged across from the fireplace, their permanent location it seemed despite the season.

"My Lord," Takuma had greeted him, bowing. He remained standing, nervous to approach. He wasn't sure what to expect.

There was a pause, stretching out to infinity, and then at last Kaname spoke, "You betrayed me and my trust in you. Despite all the years that we have been allies, this is how you repay me?" The Kuran lord watched him with a vitriolic gaze.

Takuma idly traced the upholstery of the chair behind which he stood, eyes shifting to the window. Below, in the courtyard, he could see the knights doing their daily drills. He was sure, before his arrival, that Hanabusa Aidou and Zero Kiryuu had joined their ranks. At last he answered, "It was not justice."

The noble quirked an eyebrow, expression unrelenting, revealing no trace of his emotions. "So you want to play the hero. Have I become the villain, then?"

The blond shook his head in quick, sharp denial. "There are neither heroes nor villains here. But it is easy to confuse what _is_ with what ought to be, especially when what _is_ has worked in your favor. You will gain the throne in this manner, I am convinced. And yet...was this really the best route to obtain it?"

"You forget, it was my father who was meant for the throne. It was stolen from him. I am merely reasserting my rightful claim. It was never Yuki's to begin with." He gave a caustic smirk. "Or Kaien's."

Takuma took a breath, forcing the pain that lanced through his chest to dull. Perhaps it had been true, then. Perhaps somehow the king's death had been no accident, after all. Despite the proximity of his lord, it seemed to him that Kaname had moved far away from him, and that no amount of effort would traverse that gaping chasm of distance.

"You had only to guard the keys to Zero's cell. I did not ask much of you," Kaname mused.

The Ichijou lord straightened, facing his friend squarely. "Some commands are more easily given than obeyed. Explicitly or not, you ordered my silence and forced me to be a bystander to something I did not agree with. As much as I love you, I could not comply with such a breach of my own ethics."

"You do not comprehend what I desire to accomplish," came the cryptic reply.

"What is it that you wish to accomplish?" he challenged.

Enigmatic eyes regarded him from across the room. "A legacy. A dynasty, founded upon an undisputable claim. Forged not with iron, but with blood."

"The blood of innocents," Takuma whispered bitterly.

"There is always a cost. The unworthy must be sacrificed for the greater good, whether it be justly or not. And their sacrifice will pave the way. I'm not talking merely about myself, I'm talking about the necessary conditions for greatness."

"That is greatness?" To soak one's hands in innocent blood so that one could build an empire? Takuma knew that he would have given Kaname his undying support had he chosen to pursue the throne by another, fairer means. He still believed that Kaname deserved to sit upon the throne and rule the Nine Kingdoms. But the cost left a vile taste in his mouth.

"Besides, neither Zero, Kaien, or the princess were innocents. Haruka and Juri stole my father's right to rule, and when he killed them it should have passed back to him...and then to me." Kaname stood, shrugging tranquilly. "Who is the true usurper?"

"I thought that there was no lost love between you and your father," the blond noble dared to venture. He did not understand the twists and turns of his lord's mind.

"No, there isn't. But under different circumstances things might have been different. If, for instance, Juri had been my mother, instead of some no one that none even remember now." The dark-haired man pondered this for a moment, and then seemed to abandon the thought. "Regardless, the throne will be mine. And perhaps this way will prove easier."

"Every move that you have made thus far has been nothing more than a gamble. Please, be careful," Takuma pleaded, this time moved to concern. If anyone should discover the details of Kaname's rise to power, if anyone should question him... Everything could fall apart in an instant.

"An ambitious move is always a gamble." The lord dismissed the words.

Takuma opened his mouth to say something further, but then reconsidered and closed it again, falling silent. He doubted there was anything he could say that would make an effect now. The trust Kaname had for him was now broken, and their friendship would perhaps never be fully restored. He could almost regret what he had done, but despite the pain this rupture in their bond caused him, he would never shake the image of the silver knight, battered and in chains, being tortured before his eyes. He would defend his actions until the end. What he had done was right, even if Kaname never forgave him for it.

"Well, whether you intended it or not, you have put me in an advantageous position," Lord Kuran murmured. "Yuki's flight from the capital has proven to be hard evidence against her. The young Lord Aidou, as well." Kaname favored him with a friable smile now. "Your punishment shall not be as terrible as what I had originally intended, after learning of your deceit."

A chill chased down his spine. "My Lord, I hope you do not have any intentions of abusing me personally." The jail cell and the screams flashed through his mind once again.

Amusement played across the dark-haired nobles features for a beat. Then, "To the contrary, I'm sending you to the Ochre Hills. To the Citadel. Lord Ouri Shirabuki has come forward, proposing marriage between myself and his oldest daughter, Sara. I believe your grandfather Lord Asato had once thought to arrange a marriage between you and his younger daughter Yui?"

Takuma nodded, though the Shirabuki stronghold was a place he was loath to go. Although his grandfather had once entertained the idea that he should marry Lady Yui, Takuma was only too glad that the arrangement had fallen through. The Shirabuki sisters were a strange pair, and Lady Sara's strange obsession with him had disturbed him in the past.

" I believe you are a suitable candidate for this diplomatic mission," Kaname continued. "You're familiar with the Shirabuki family and their lands. I wish for you to go there and begin negotiations with Lord Ouri. Do not agree to anything. I wish to know his terms, first. I have already sent someone to do the same for Lord Souen, and I intend to do so with Lady Shizuka when she arrives. It is not lost on me that Lord Nagamichi Aidou has not stepped forward with his own proposal... His eldest daughter Tsukiko is as of yet unwed."

"Yes, My Lord." The blond bowed, swallowing back his protests. Negotiating a marriage, albeit in less than pleasurable company, was hardly the worst punishment Kaname could have given him. "When should I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning at first light. I've already arranged a guard escort. I believe six men should be sufficient for a visit such as this. All the details have already been seen to. I will also bring you a list of my own terms. See to it that as many as possible are met, and return when the negotiations have come to a conclusion."

"Of course, My Lord," he repeated, feeling some of the weight lift from his heart. Perhaps their friendship had not been torn to shreds after all.

"I expect you to achieve good results, Takuma," Kaname said, moving to the door. "Do well, and perhaps I'll forget how you've stained your record."

"Thank you." Takuma smiled gratefully.

Once he was alone, the blond moved to his inner chambers to fetch a quill, parchment, and ink. He would need to make a list of his own necessities for the trip. He was certain the servants would pack provisions, but he wanted to ensure that he represented the Kuran house and his allegiance to it well. That included bringing his finest sword and clothes. The Ochre Hills weren't far, as the Shirabuki lands were the kingdom directly to the west of Ashgate. However, the Citadel itself was situated nearer to the cost, secluded among the rolling, fertile hills that characterized the land. He could expect to arrive in less than a week, if he did not push himself.

Relaxing at last, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and dedicated himself to the task at hand. After the tension and strain he had placed on his relationship with Kaname, at last things finally seemed to be taking a positive turn. By the time he returned, he hoped that it would be as his lord said; his slate would be wiped clean and they could restart anew.

* * *

 **AN:** Don't know why anyone would WANT to be friends with Kaname but... Either way, Takuma wants you to review hehehe.


	25. 25 Yuki

**A/N** : So, right off the bat I'm gonna go ahead and spoil this chapter by saying no, Yori does not appear this time. However, to help her get her _next week_ , I decided to release an additional chapter on **THURSDAY** so that next **MONDAY** she will finally make her appearance. So, in the next week(ish) there will be 3 chapters instead of the usual 2. Consider this my Happy Holidays gift to y'all ;).

* * *

 **YUKI**

"It's time to put you to work out in the fields where we really need you," Mando told the princess and her knights, grinning.

The farmer led the trio out the back door of the house into the brisk morning air. Before them was the barn, a building Mando and Etsuko had built themselves years ago. To the left of the barn was the pasture, and to the right were the crops that the farmers cultivated. Yuki and the knights had volunteered themselves to help with the more difficult chores to repay the family for their kindness, and today Mando had decided they should help with the animals and crops.

"I need one of ya to tend the horses and another to help me with the vegetables. I got two horses, one has got a mean streak. That would be Lily, the white one. I brought them in earlier so we could brush 'em and such." They stepped into the barn, and Yuki immediately saw the pair of horses before them, swishing their tails in their stalls. "Other one's Won." He gestured to the dark brown horse beside Lily.

Hanabusa stepped forward, reaching out his hand slowly although warily towards the white mare. "She's gorgeous," he observed with appreciation.

"Purebred. She only likes my wife, though. Careful there, boy."

The blond lord had almost succeeded in touching the horse's nose when Lily suddenly snapped at him. Hanabusa jumped back, snatching his hand away. Yuki flinched, worried for a moment until she saw that the knight was alright. Mando laughed and shook his head.

"Told ya so," the farmer chuckled.

"I'll help with the crops," the blond said smoothly, patting Zero on the shoulder.

The silver knight shrugged, moving closer to the mare. He, too, approached slowly, and when the mare shook her head and pawed at the ground nervously he maintained his calm, waiting for her to steady herself before continuing. Within moments he was stroking the horse's nose. Lily nickered softly, nudging his shoulder and looking at him imploringly for food.

"Well I'll be damned." Mando folded his arms, looking over to Zero and nodding. "Ya got a gift, there."

"Horses have always liked Zero," Yuki giggled, remembering the days back home at Ashgate. No matter how ornery the horse, they always seemed to have a special connection with Zero. Yuki couldn't blame the animals. Zero was very special, after all. His presence always calmed and steadied her. She thought perhaps it was the same for horses. Hanabusa, however... She snickered under her breath. Not so much.

"Yuki, would ya mind staying to help Zero here? Just in case?" Mando asked.

"Of course!" Yuki replied immediately. She would have rather helped in the barn, anyway. She wasn't particularly strong, and the thought of working in the fields did not appeal to her in the slightest.

"In that case, if ya don't mind cleaning the barn a little and then the horse's stalls. They're gonna need more food and water and a good brushing, as well."

"No problem." She smiled, speaking for Zero as well, who was still scratching a very happy Lily.

"Come find me if ya need anything." With that, Mando gestured to Hanabusa, and the pair were soon out of sight.

"Okay Zero, what first?" Yuki asked, ready to work but unsure what to do, and followed the knight's lead as he began tending the pair of horses.

The morning went by sluggishly at first, as Yuki was unaccustomed to manual labor of any sort, but before long she felt that she was getting the hang of it. It wasn't hard, tending to the horses and cleaning the stables. Zero was far better help than she, naturally, but with time she believed she could do almost as well.

Picking up the broom where she'd left it, she swept the loose hay into a pile. In the time that they had been here, Yuki felt that the mood had shifted drastically. They had fled the capital in fear, with the threat of discovery dogging their every step. Once they had found Mando and Etsuko, however, that had changed. The days had slowed and gradually become more relaxed. Yuki felt closer than ever to both of her knights. More than that, she felt almost more at home here than at the palace, at court…

 _I could do this_ , Yuki thought, returning the broom to its rightful place in the corner. She turned, eyes scanning the barn and the yard beyond. The morning was peaceful, accentuated by birdsong and the various noises of the farm. A few chickens strutted past, pecking at the ground in search of food. In the field, she knew, Hanabusa and Mando were tending the crops. It was a simple life, uncomplicated by the politics and etiquette of the court; a life that she knew little about. Despite that, such a life appealed to her. It did not seem so far-fetched now to find a piece of land and build a new life, far away from the pressures of the palace and the tyranny of her cousin... A life together with Zero...

Yuki paused, watching as the silver knight combed through Lily's mane, his fingers checking for snags that might catch on the brush. Out here in the countryside, Zero seemed more at ease as well, slipping easily into the role of farmer. Now, tending to the horse, the silver knight's usual stern, unreadable composure had fled, leaving his expression peaceful and somehow vulnerable. She watched him lean close, eyes crinkling at the corners as the mare attempted to nibble the ends of his hair, lips almost echoing the ghost of a smile. The hard surface of his features had eroded away, unguarded before the animal, and the tenderness that he directed towards the horse made her heart twist a little. If only Zero would show her such tenderness as well...

She shook her head slightly, attempting to dislodge this sudden seed of envy. Zero was her knight, after all. She spent more time with him than almost anyone. To want more was beyond selfish. And yet... Her eyes followed his fingers as they gently untangled the mare's mane, followed the hint of that smile on his lips. She was beyond selfish to want more of his attention, more of his affection. At court, it had been easier to occupy herself with other things, to maintain the boundaries between the two of them, but here it was far less so.

Her hand rose, touching her chest as that slight pain wormed its way outward. Moments passed, indeterminable, and she remained as she was, watching him groom the horse. She could have watched him forever that way, unaware and unguarded. As she did, the emotion lodged in her chest loosened, spreading slowly through her veins. It was an emotion she had denied and hidden for years, one that was forbidden, and yet... She wasn't sure when this feeling had begun to fill her, but as she stood there, trapped by the sight of such an expression on her knight's face, sudden recognition burned into her heart with cold fire.

The thought dropped heavily like a stone through her mind, rippling out as her fingers tightened into a fist. _I love Zero_.

The realization left her reeling for a moment, stunned. She could not remember when such a feeling had begun, only that it had been present for as long as she could remember. She had tried to tell herself otherwise, tried to disguise it, and yet it had remained, waiting beneath the surface of her mind until this moment when it broke free again. She could not deny it any longer. She loved Zero, completely and fully; she always had. She loved his quiet, constant presence. She loved their long walks and chats, loved the way they could simply sit and read together. She loved watching him practice, loved the fluid motion of his arm as he swung his sword through the open air. She loved the way his hair fell across his forehead, the way his eyes caught and softly muted the light, the way his lips moved as he spoke. She loved the sound of his voice. Everything...

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a slow, deep breath to steady herself. Perhaps, deep down, despite Kaname's character, the true reason that she had not wanted to marry him was because of Zero... Because she could not shake the bond that she felt with her knight. And maybe, just maybe, she wasn't certain if she wanted to return to the palace at all, because if she built a new life for herself, there was a chance that she could do it at Zero's side...

"Do you need a break?" the knight's query snapped her out of her thoughts.

Still dazed, his question struck her with confusion. For a few seconds she fumbled mentally, pulling together her thoughts to respond. "No, sorry, I was lost in thought," she apologized quickly, giving him a warm smile.

"You can leave things to me. I'm alright," he repeated, but Yuki shook her head.

The princess began to protest, when suddenly a call from Emiri interrupted her.

"Lunch!" the girl announced.

"I'm hungry," Yuki said instead, suddenly grabbing the knight's wrist and dragging him out of the barn behind her. "Let's eat!"

She turned back and beamed, radiating happiness and energy towards the silver-haired man. It was a complicated emotion, but somehow she felt lighter, unburdened with the force of a love she had kept hidden even from herself.

If only she knew how Zero felt in return...

* * *

 **A/N:** Everyone is anxious for Yori to appear. But this is the end of the farm "arc" so the next time we see our trio they will at last be in the Virid Wood. Still, this is a very important chapter for Yuki. At least she isn't trying to deny herself anymore!


	26. 26 Senri

**SENRI**

 _With every breath that he exhaled, Senri could feel the air grow stiller, colder. The more he tried to draw breath, to move forward, the more the air seemed to bind him in place as though he was chained with iron fetters. Ahead of him, a storm gathered, roaring with darkness and spitting lightning. A cold wind howled in the distance, bringing with it the scent of frost._

 _Locked in place, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and was able to turn his head enough to see four cloaked figures, frantic wanderers it seemed, who were searching...although for what, he could not say. He tried to open his mouth, to shout a warning, but his jaw was locked and his tongue was made of lead. Somehow, they could not see the storm, even as it approached to swallow them._

 _Without warning, the lightning flashed, striking down on them, so bright that he was blinded. The world went white and seemed to shatter. Fear pulsed through his veins, but still he could not move. For a moment, the world seemed to be consumed in flames, and then the light gradually dimmed. Above him, the stars were bleeding in the sky and an icy breath fell over him, coating his skin with frost. The moon, untouched, continued to shine, and as it did, it illuminated a path that passed beneath his feet. As he stared at it, it seemed to lose solidity and grow transparent. And there, shimmering like crystals in the depths, he could almost make out words. The letters were blurry, uncertain, with ragged edges, but somehow he sensed that they hid within them a great truth._

 _Realizing he would not be able to clearly see the words that they formed, he raised his gaze once again, and this time before him he saw a wraith draped in robes of shadow. In its hand it held a bloody dagger, which dripped to the ground. However, where the blood met with the earth it congealed into gold. Desperate to make out some detail, he focused on the face of the hooded figure, only to watch as it dispersed into smoke. The smoke seemed to stir the gold, melting it to liquid form once again, and from that liquid rose a steel cage._

 _The ground started to tremble beneath his feet. Senri tried to gasp, but there was no air and, choking, he fell to the ground. Beneath him, the earth fractured and cracked. There was the sound of metal and screams, and then abruptly the dry, broken ground inside the cage erupted upwards. Hot wind blew against his face as he watched a giant stone column rise up from the fragmented metal remains of the cage. As the column grew, it was at first strangled by thorny vines which bore black, sinister roses, but then its width became too much and the plant withered and fell away._

 _And then, stepping from out of view, came a shadow bearing a crown of no metal that Senri knew. The shadow turned towards him and raised his arm. Suddenly, the path of moonlight flared up again from beneath him, and the frost that clung to his limbs evaporated into the night. That shadow stepped towards him, and as it did so, he felt reality cut its harsh blade through him, dragging him back..._

Senri sat up with a start, sweating and struggling to catch his breath. It felt as if he had not drawn air into his lungs for years. Panting, he glanced at the mirror across from the bed, and saw that his left eye gleamed pale crimson in the dark. It had been a vision... He fought to regain himself. Even now, he could feel the adrenaline pounding through his veins.

"Senri?" he heard a sleep-muddled voice beside him ask, and felt a cool hand against his arm.

For a moment, he could not answer. The air was too thick. The mattress shifted beneath him, and he felt Rima sit up beside him. She placed her hand over his chest, and for whatever reason, her simple gesture calmed its wild beating.

"The lost thing discovered? Desperate wanderers who will rouse the world?" A pause, then, "You've had another vision..." she surmised.

He hadn't realized he'd been murmuring the words. He quieted then, shaking his head to clear it. Already, he could see the crimson fading from his eye. It was surely returning to blue, even if he could not see.

Images flashed through his mind then. The king, the weapon, the promise... So many pieces that had yet to fall into place... So much that was yet to come to pass. But he only nodded. Rima knew all of these things.

He turned to face her, though all he could make out was the faint outline of her form, and said, "We must prepare for their arrival."

"When?"

"I don't know. But it will be soon." Very soon... He could sense their approach with a vague sense of imminence.

"We must fulfill our promise..." The soft tone of her voice seemed to illuminate the darkness with each syllable. He wondered if the completion of their vow would do the same.

"Yes..."

Rima lay back down beside him and gave his arm a tug so that he would do the same. "Tell me the vision tomorrow."

"Okay," he murmured, pulling back up the thin blanket they used in the summertime. He closed his eyes then, pushing the confusing jumble of images aside for the moment and attempting to relax.

"Goodnight," Rima mumbled, and he could hear in her voice that she was already half asleep.

His lips creased upward into a smile. "Night," he replied softly, and let sleep take him once again.

* * *

 **A/N:** A short chapter, but what does it mean?


	27. 27 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

Time had dropped away from them like breadcrumbs, lining the path behind them with tiny telltale trails of seconds and minutes that, gathered together, might have amassed into hours. Here in Virid Wood there was neither night nor day, but only a never-ending green trance that seemed to sedate his senses in a muddy blur. Beside him, Yuki adjusted her hooded cloak, her posture confident and relaxed. Hanabusa, on the other hand, felt like a coiled spring, wound tight with tension. He glanced at Zero, who seemed to have recovered with strange speed from his injuries, and noted the set of the other knight's shoulders. He, too, was wary of this place.

Against the backdrop of the mossy deep green sea, there was not a trace of human or animal life. The vast expanse of trees stretched outward in every direction, an endless labyrinth of colossal wooden inhabitants that stood silent watch over the forest. The spaces between the trunks of each tree vacuumed the sound from the air and created a tidal force that seemed to pull them along, drawing them further into the abyss of endless green. There was not a single birdcall or insect, and Hanabusa could feel a chill whisper down his spine.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" he demanded, a little too loudly.

Yuki shot him a glare, and he pressed his lips together, ill-at-ease with a hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of his sword. When she answered it was in a whisper, "We must respect the forest. Don't worry; they already know we are here."

The blond glanced around them, on edge. He disliked the disadvantage that he had, in which the princess was better equipped to deal with the situation than he. How was he to protect Yuki if he was surrounded by potential enemies that he knew nothing about? There seemed to be a malignant foreboding that crept along through the shadows around them. His fingers twitched against the metal sword hilt.

"For all we know they've gone over to Kaname," he muttered, tapping anxiously against the hard leather of the scabbard with a nail.

"Quiet," she instructed, favoring him with a second glower.

He ignored this, venturing to speak despite the warning. "Let's-"

A flurry of shadows dropped from the sky, seeming to detach from the dark forms of the trees themselves. With a curse, Hanabusa leapt behind Yuki as Zero moved to guard her from the front, his hand closing around the hilt of the sword. Almost before he had drawn the blade, the sharpened point of an arrowhead flashed through the air, stopping to hover only inches from his face.

Shit.

He froze, flicking a quick glance around him and feeling every muscle tense as he realized that they had been completely surrounded in the span of a single instant. He returned his attention to the figure before him, blue gaze clashing against the golden brown one before him. The person before him holding the arrow was a slender-boned girl, and for a moment he thought perhaps he could overpower her to create a gap in the circle the forest folk had formed around them. He instantly dismissed this notion, however, when he saw the steadiness of her arm and the hardness of her expression. The calmness of her gaze, devoid of emotion, reaffirmed that these people were in complete control of the situation. To either side of her, her companions mirrored her stance and apathy.

Golden eyes flicked to his sword, a command that resounded through him louder than a shout. He grit his teeth. If he put away the sword, Yuki would be unprotected, but if he did not… With trepidation, he slid the weapon back into its sheath, the hiss of steel echoing in surrender. For the present, they were trapped. Already, he was assessing the situation minutely. At the first possible moment, he had to find a way for the princess to escape.

Behind him, he heard Yuki inhale a quick breath and exclaim excitedly, "Yori!"

Hanabusa blinked in confusion. The girl before him did the same, clearly caught off-guard. Around the circle, the response seemed to be one of general surprise.

"Yuki?" the girl asked now, tentatively, peering at the girl quizzically. He observed that she released some of the tension of the bow string.

"Oh, sorry." The princess stepped forward, oblivious to the sudden shift of arrows trained on her, throwing back the hood of her cloak. She grinned at the archer sheepishly.

"Yuki!" there was recognition this time, and delight. A smile graced the stranger's features, transforming her into a nonthreatening, pretty young woman who quickly lowered her weapon and threw her arms around the princess. The blond lord was stupefied. He had been afraid of a little girl? It was an embarrassment.

Once the two girls had ended their embrace, the one which he assumed must be her friend Yori, or more formally, Sayori Wakaba, gestured and the remaining archers let down their guard. He released the grip on the hilt of his own weapon, although cautiously, still unconvinced of their safety. They had no guarantee that these people remained loyal to Yuki, despite her reassurances to the contrary. Zero, too, seemed prepared to draw his weapon again at the drop of a hat.

"I'm so happy you're safe," the forest girl told her friend, giving her arm a squeeze. "When I heard what happened I was so worried… But I knew you would come here. We've been expecting you…and also Kaname's men, so you'll have to forgive our less than welcoming greeting. We were sure he'd send men of his own after you." She turned large hazel eyes to the pair of Bloodguards and smiled warmly. "You must be the knights I've heard so much about. A pleasure to meet you. Zero. My Lord." She bowed her head to each of them respectively before addressing Yuki again. "Follow me. We'll take you back home to The Vale and bring you to my father."

"Thank you," Yuki said.

Yori motioned for them to follow her, and started off in the same direction that they had previously been walking before their less than friendly ambush. Not exactly the welcome party Hanabusa would have had in mind, but seeing as how they were now guarded by a party of trained bowmen, he couldn't complain. Yuki joined her friend at the head of the group, leaving her knights to trail after in the midst of the forest folk.

"I'm really sorry I haven't been able to write you as much recently," the princess apologized, starting up a conversation with no further thought to the Bloodguards behind her. Zero seemed unfazed by their situation, however, remaining as impassive as always.

"It's been far too long since you've been here. I've missed you," Yori reached over to give Yuki's hand a quick squeeze.

"Me, too. We were supposed to meet up this summer again, but…" The princess trailed off, thoughts undoubtedly turning to the late king once again.

"Yuki…" The tone was soft, sympathetic, face distraught.

"It's okay, sorry, I'm alright." Yuki forced a laugh, waving aside her friend's concern. Beside him, Zero's muscles tensed one by one, eyes somber and locked on his princess. "Anyway," the petite girl continued, "it's good to be back here. How's your father?"

"Fine, the usual." Yori paused, and Hanabusa could see her dwelling on Yuki's past response, but she knew her friend well, as she didn't press the topic further. Instead, she asked, "Did you have any trouble finding your way here?"

Yuki shook her head. "No, the road is fairly straightforward." Hanabusa rolled his eyes. Sure it was. That was why he had navigated the entire way and the moment he had let down his guard Yuki had tried to steer them into a bog. "Are you sure you remember the way to your own house, though? Maybe you should consider road signs?" The princess teased.

While the girls chatted amicably, the blond knight took the time to observe the princess' friend. This was the person he had gambled would fall for his charms, and he was intrigued by any female friend Yuki kept. Or rather, he was intrigued by the _only_ female friend she kept. With the two standing side by side, it was easier to compare them. Yori was slightly taller and better proportioned than her Kuran friend, with short auburn hair and the hint of a dimple at her left cheek. She wasn't a great beauty like Ruka Souen back at the court, but there was something to her understated prettiness that Hanabusa found appealing. He wasn't going to mind flirting with her by any means, and from the innocence that she emitted he was confident that it wouldn't take long for Yuki to lose their bet. He smirked to himself. Yuki would soon be suffering under the pressure of obeying a romantic command with the silver knight.

It wasn't long before Yori called the group to a halt. "We've arrived," she stated, indicating the empty forest around them.

Hanabusa raised an eyebrow, and couldn't hold back the snarky response which he muttered to Zero under his breath, "Impressive. Yuki never mentioned that it was an invisible town." He received no response.

Before he could question the Wakaba girl's sanity, she whistled a complex series of notes and turned to the knights, "I'm afraid it's a bit of a climb. We built high up in the trees."

As she spoke, someone above in the treetop released a long rope ladder. Yori gestured for the three of them to ascend. Yuki went up first with ease, followed by Zero. After the knight was a few feet up, the lord started up as well. Hanabusa stared upwards, carefully but swiftly climbing rung to rung. Above him was only the thick canopy of leaves, a shield that protected this place from the eyes of outsiders. Apart from her friendship with the Wakaba family, he could see why Yuki had chosen to flee here. Her cousin's men would be incapable of finding them without the help of the locals, and even if they did, attacking The Vale would be all but impossible. The town was well fortified and easily defensible. His father would have approved of the design.

Finally, he clambered out of the canopy and found the end of the ladder, stepping out onto a wooden platform beside the princess and her silver knight. Around him, he could now see the town, which was a sprawling expanse of wooden gangways, platforms, and stairs that interconnected the trees and the houses constructed on or even within their branches. Although Yuki had informed him that this was the Wakaba stronghold, the town itself wasn't particularly large. Still, he estimated a few hundred people lived here above the forest canopy and hidden from sight. It was the perfect refuge.

The sentry who he assumed had lowered the ladder was eyeing the three of them suspiciously. Once Yori had cleared the ladder and joined them on the platform, however, she faced the man squarely and told him with authority, "These are friends. We're going to see my father now." He noted that she didn't introduce them as the princess and her knights. That was the wiser decision. It was best not to draw undue attention to their party. "This way," she told them, leading them down the gangway that led into the center of the town.

Behind them, the archers that had been with them dispersed in various directions, although a pair of older men stayed with them. Hanabusa assumed these must be Yori's guard. The Wakaba girl led them to the center platform from which the town gyrated outwards, and then up a staircase to a large manor house built directly into one of the great trees that supported the entire town.

"This is where Yori lives," Yuki clarified excitedly as they approached the doors.

"Welcome," her friend told them as the doors were opened by a pair of guards.

Yuki and Zero entered without a second thought; he, however, took the initiative to begin charming Yori. "After you, My Lady," he gave a slight bow and a smile, eyes darkening as they fixed on her. This girl would not escape him. The satisfaction of possibly bringing the princess closer to her knight rested on his success.

Her expression hardened instantly, as wooden as the forest in which she dwelled. A little of the warmth seemed to have been leeched from her voice as she answered, "No, you are in my house and must enter first. And I am not your lady."

Surprised, he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, forgive me." Yuki had explained previously that Sayori Wakaba was not the legitimate child of her father and it was quite possible that she had taken offense to his words. He watched her for a further reaction for a moment before passing through the door, but all expression had been shut out from her eyes.

It was a minor setback. Hanabusa wouldn't be deterred this early on. He was sure he could more than make up for his mistake later on. Dismissing it from his mind, he instead focused on the large antechamber into which they were led by a guard. A plain green carpet took them to the edge of the chamber, which opened into a sprawling hall with vaulted ceilings. The entirety of the room was made of wood, and was sparsely furnished. There were a few benches ringing the chamber, and further back the last quarter of the room was upraised by a few steps. There, on this platformed section of the hall, resided a long wooden table and chairs. A few men ringed the table, speaking in low voices to one another, but when the group entered their conversation abruptly broke off as they watched the newcomers warily.

Yori briskly walked ahead of them to the men, addressing one in particular, an elegant man of middle age who Hanabusa deemed to be her father. As she spoke, his eyes honed in on Yuki, suddenly widening as he smiled broadly, and called over, "Princess, I'm glad you made it here safely!"

"Lord Hakuba, it's wonderful to see you again!" Yuki beamed, moving towards him. Hanabusa and Zero followed behind her, and behind them trailed the guards.

"I was hoping what had transpired in the capital was a lie…" the Lord Hakuba said slowly. On closer inspection, the blond knight could see that the older man's hair was beginning to grey and that wrinkles were slowly imprinting into his skin, but he remained a figure both poised and sophisticated.

Yuki shook her head, and Hanabusa detected her hesitation before she responded, "No, unfortunately it is true…"

"You're safe here with us, of course. And I will not abide this Kuran pup taking over as he wishes. Believe me, we remain your allies here in the Virid Wood."

"Thank you. Your support means a lot to me. I hope that I will be able to repay it, as well as your kindness, in the future."

"I'm sure you will be able to, Princess. But, let us discuss these matters at a later time. I'm sure you are weary?" Without waiting for a reply, he gestured to a pair of servants who immediately stepped forward.

"Thank you," Yuki told him gratefully once again.

"It's no trouble. I consider you almost as one of the family, and I wish for your comfort here. Rest, and later we can sup together." He smiled, gave a small bow, and walked with his men down off the platform and towards a hall at one end of the chamber.

Yori had murmured something to Yuki which the blond did not catch, but he saw the princess nod and her friend and turned to the knights then. "The servants will show you to your room. There should be clean clothes there, and later this evening they'll escort you to the baths before dinner. In the meantime, you're free to wander the house or the town as you please."

"Thank you," he gave a small bow, hoping his thanks would be enough for both himself and Zero, who still had not spoken.

"See you later, then!" Yuki waved happily, bidding them farewell quite abruptly. Then, suddenly, "I guess it's obvious, but I'm going with Yori."

"Find me if you need anything."

"I will." She waved again, and the girls disappeared, leaving the men alone.

"This way," one of the servants ushered them into a hall opposite the one the noble ladies had used.

The blond took in the building in which they were housed. It certainly wasn't as big as the fortress he lived in with his family, but it was warm and gave off a cheery atmosphere that put him at ease. The walls and floor were made of polished wood, and each door along the hall presented a unique carving and intricately designed brass knob. They passed a small dining room and a hall which seemed to lead outside. He marked this into his memory for later examination.

The servants escorted them into a simple but spacious room at the end of the hall, furnished with matching beds and chests. Between them was a low table with two chairs that sat in front of a window overlooking the forest canopy. On the beds were indeed clean clothes. And, of course, apart from the clothes and the sheets, everything was made of wood.

"Can we be of further assistance? Is there anything you would like?" one of the servants asked.

"No, thank you, we should be fine." Already he was preoccupied with thoughts of supper and a hot bath.

"If you have need of anything, please do not hesitate to call on us," the servant informed him. Then the servants quietly shut the door, plunging the room into complete silence not broken by even the calls of birds.

"She's cute," Hanabusa said with satisfaction after they had been left alone.

Violet eyes reproached him.

"What? I have a bet to win, if you haven't forgotten? You should be on your knees begging me to seduce Sayori Wakaba, because if I do you'll be indebted to me for a lifetime."

"Leave her alone." The silver knight moved to sit on the bed on the right side of the room, rubbing his neck and unlacing his boots.

"You don't want to get closer to Yuki, then?" he inquired, removing his own shoes.

"No." The word was barely a whisper, barely uttered.

The blond regarded his friend in disbelief. These two were really something else, truly idiotic… "Why not?" he demanded. "What's to stop you? If there was ever a good opportunity to develop your relationship, it's now."

Zero didn't respond, instead standing to change into the fresh clothes a servant had laid out at the end of the bed. Hanabusa already understood implicitly. The Kiryuu was as scarred inside as his skin, and he believed the social customs of the palace restricted his freedom tighter than a noose. In part, he was right, and shouldn't dare to cross the lines that separated princess and knight. On the other hand, Hanabusa loathed seeing his two closest companions kept apart by nothing more than tradition. There were certainly no laws that forbid it, after all. He sighed. Persuading the court to accept a relationship between the two would only be half the battle. The other half was getting Zero and Yuki to accept it.

"Never mind," the blond lord muttered, occupying himself by changing clothes and exploring the drawers and cabinets in the room, all empty.

Bored, he donned the wooden sandals that had been resting at the foot of his bed and informed the silver knight that he was going out. "I'll be back later. Try not to have too much fun without me." Zero only glanced at him briefly and Hanabusa blew out a sigh. Eliciting a verbal response from the silver knight was rather like pulling a tooth. Mildly irritated, he abandoned the other knight and started his investigation of the manor house.

The sandals clacked softly against the floor, thunderclaps in the silence. He remembered the passage that they had passed earlier to reach their rooms that had revealed through recessed windows the temptation of fresh air and rolling green waves of leaves. Finding the hall easily and the door at the end of it unlocked, he exited the building and discovered himself outside in a three-walled, open courtyard that housed a garden of flowering plants and fruit trees. The fourth wall of the courtyard had been removed to overlook the town. At this hour there was almost no one around, and the wall that encircled the garden seemed to be the frame of a grandiose painting.

Hanabusa inhaled slowly. The air in the canopy had a sharpness to it that seemed to pierce his lungs with vitality. Feeling invigorated by the pure atmosphere of the hidden oasis, he meandered through the walkways of smooth wood beams, allowing his mind to empty and his body to relax. It was refreshing to be away from the court. Strangely, he had even enjoyed the simple pleasures of farm life while they had stayed with Etsuko and Mando. He shook his head, thinking back to the tearful but happy farewell. The couple had said they would always have a place to stay if ever they should pass by again, although he doubted that the opportunity would ever present itself again.

Briefly, he wondered how his elder sisters were doing back home, and if his parents were getting along alright. Or perhaps they thought him dead… The thought sobered him. There was no way to communicate with them, however, not without risking his actual death. For the moment, it was best to remain entirely cut off from the world. They had to disappear, so that no one might think to guard against their later reappearance.

A movement caught his eye, and as he turned his head, he saw that Yuki and Yori had entered the garden from the same door that he had. Yori merely seemed surprised to see him there, but Yuki looked amused. She was obviously happy to be with her friend again.

"I see you found our secret getaway," Yuki giggled.

"It's beautiful here," he commented genially, though his eyes passed over Yori for a notable interval before they shifted to the scenery. Out of his peripheral, he caught Yuki narrowing her eyes at him, obviously aware of his intentions. Yori did not seem remotely flattered by his remark; if anything, she seemed to tense slightly. Not the response he was looking for, but he had time…

"How's Zero?" the princess asked, changing the subject with at least some tact.

"Fine." He shrugged. "He's brooding in the room, but I'd expect nothing else from him. You should go see him." And spare him the trouble of having to command her to lessen the distance between them.

"I will later," she agreed easily.

"I trust the accommodations are suitable?" Yori inquired then, still playing the hostess.

"They are." He nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality."

She dismissed his thanks immediately. "It's no trouble. We're allies, after all."

One corner of his mouth quirked upward in a half-smirk, calculating his words. "You are indeed every bit as generous as My Lady Yuki described." He said no more, though his gaze once again lingered over hers in only the suggestion of flirtation. It was a subtle invitation, nothing more, nothing less.

Despite his cautious phrasing, however, he could see her hazel eyes forging further into steel with every passing second. Her posture had completely closed off from him, a complete rejection of his invitation. His eyebrows flicked upwards ever-so-slightly, intrigued. Perhaps this would prove to be more engaging than he had expected. He always welcomed a challenge.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Hanabusa Aidou." Yuki snorted. "Not here, anyway."

"I wasn't flattering," he answered smoothly, "I was merely making a statement. You did speak favorably of your friend, and from what I've observed, she is all that you have said and more."

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever you want to call it, we're leaving now. Yori's father wants to discuss holding a small banquet to celebrate our safe arrival. I trust you'll be able to entertain yourself for a few hours?"

"Of course." He wondered if there was a library. Zero certainly wouldn't provide any conversation.

"If you need anything, one of the servants will attend you," Yori spoke now, but from her tone and expression he could see that she was on her guard.

After the girls had left, he stood in place for a moment, contemplating the garden. At last, he turned and reentered the building, in search of a servant. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to find a library. He had a bit of researching to do regarding the Kuran family history. Anything and everything would prove useful information in their fight to regain the capital. The battle had only just begun…

* * *

 **A/N:** Yori is finally here! What do you think?

Annnnd, to celebrate Yori's arrival, my friend Cintia has made a gorgeous Yori fanart which you can find on Khaleesint's page on Deviantart. I hate that we can't put links into documents on FF but the art should be quite easy to find. If you are having problems navigating to her page, try searching for 'Sayori Wakaba archer' and/or 'Khaleesint' in the search box on the site and it should pop up immediately. It's really lovely and definitely worth checking out!

Don't forget to review!


	28. 28 Akatsuki

**AKATSUKI**

The doors to the throne room banged open suddenly, and a figure recognizable as a high lord swept into the room with a quartet of armored knights donned with their house colors of yellow and blue. The red-haired knight had heard that his uncle was traveling for Ashgate, but he had not expected him to arrive so soon.

"Where is my son?" Lord Nagamichi Aidou demanded, the hard lines of his face unyielding and uncompromising.

The court fell silent. Lord Kaname did not alter his relaxed position on the throne, unsurprised by the lord's sudden entrance. He had no doubt been informed beforehand of Lord Aidou's approach and was expecting him. He still had not been crowned King, as the princess' fate had yet to be discovered, but Akatsuki knew the interim before he ruled was not long. Already he was acting as Regent and none had more than feebly contested this.

"Lord Aidou, your presence is much welcome here," Kaname answered calmly.

"I asked where my son is." The absence of any title or formality clearly reflected the extent of his respect.

From his position at the base of the dais that held the throne, Akatsuki could see the way the dark-haired noble's eyes darkened perceptibly. He did not take kindly to this challenge. However, Lord Aidou was not a man to be trifled with, and it was his land, the Indigo Mountains, that supplied much of the ore and metal required to make the weapons and armor for the Royal Guard. It would not be favorable to Lord Kuran to begin a conflict with the Aidous.

"I'm afraid I do not know. He fled with Princess Yuki, and their whereabouts are unknown at this time," Kaname replied.

"They fled because you gave them no choice. There are rumors that the princess had already accepted my offer to join our houses. To marry my son. I suggest that you find him." Sapphire eyes flashed a challenge from beneath a heavily creased brow.

"My Lord, perhaps it would be best to discuss these matters in private?"

For a moment, the older lord surveyed Kaname with a hard, calculating gaze, and Akatsuki wondered what he would say next. The Nine Kingdoms seemed to hang in the balance of the pause. Finally, however, he acquiesced, "Very well. I expect a meeting to be convened this evening, then." His head turned a fraction of an inch, eyes spearing through the redheaded knight. "Nephew, I require your presence. Come with me." That said, he spun on his heel and exited the throne room, his guard close behind.

For a moment, Akatsuki was too surprised to move. Then, as if in slow motion, he turned to the throne and gave a bow. "Excuse me, My Lord."

Kaname barely paid him attention, waving him off distractedly. Akatsuki hoped that Lord Aidou's presence could rattle the noble from his stoic control of the capital. It had been far too easy for him to worm his way into power. However, coming here was certainly a risk for Nagamichi and the redhead could not help but feel preoccupied for his uncle. Brow creased pensively, he pushed open the doors and left the throne room behind.

"Come," Lord Aidou said immediately, with a trace of impatience. "It's unsafe to talk here. I've already sent a servant to prepare the Grey Rooms for my visit. We'll head there now."

Lord Aidou certainly wasted no time making himself comfortable in the palace, that was for sure. He cut a commanding, harsh figure, and the set of his mouth brooked no arguments. It was strange to think that Akatsuki's mother was this man's sister, although it was certainly true that she, too, had always carried herself with stern authority. Stranger still was to compare his cousin Hanabusa Aidou to his uncle. Although they might have been father and son, they were as different as night and day.

The Grey Rooms were on the second floor, but it did not take long to reach them at the pace Nagamichi set. Once inside, he dismissed his guards to stand watch by the door and unfastened the clasps of his cloak, which bore the crest of the Aidou family: a golden hawk, its body a shield and its wing feathers extending down into swords emblazoned over a blue background. The cloak he threw over the back of one of the soft armchairs that furnished the outer room.

A pair of servants, upon hearing their arrival, poked their heads out of the bedroom, expressions dismayed to see the lords so soon. "My Lord, we have not yet-" began one of them, only to be cut off abruptly by his uncle.

"You're dismissed, thank you."

The pair bowed and hastily made their escape.

"Now, tell me what has transpired here," Lord Aidou commanded, sitting in one of the silver chairs at the breakfast table. He poured himself a glass of wine from the flask that had been left, and gestured for his nephew to do the same.

Akatsuki ran a hand threw his hair and joined his uncle at the table, shaking his head. "I'm sure you know, Uncle. Princess Yuki refused Lord Kuran's marriage proposal, and after King Kaien passed... I'm sure the trial was merely an arrangement to ensure his ascension to the throne."

"Indeed. And the king died of a heart attack."

"Yes." He took the glass his uncle offered him, though he did not drink.

"Hmm." His eyebrows drew together, pinching the skin into a brooding peak that revealed the course of his thoughts.

"You don't think that Lord Kuran played a hand in that, surely...?" Akatsuki inquired.

"If you're going to remain here at court, boy, you'd best learn never to take anything at face value." The Aidou lord scowled at him for a moment. Then, "I dare say it is quite probable this Kuran whelp had something to do with Kaien's death. As for the trial, that is obvious, and made even more so after knowing the princess intended to marry Hanabusa."

"How do you know that, Uncle? I've heard nothing-"

"I have my resources," Nagamichi interrupted him brusquely. "You'd do best to start acquiring some of your own. The information was not known by many, to be sure."

The redhead took a slow breath to gather his thoughts. His uncle was shrewd. He no doubt understood the situation better than Akatsuki himself did. Still... "Lord Kuran is dangerous. Entering the court and challenging him will likely have won you few allies among his supporters."

"You waste time trying to get people to love you, you'll end up the most popular dead man in town. I didn't come here to make friends, Akatsuki. I came for my son. And everyone who is not us is an enemy. We shall see how long this Kuran is able to maintain his silence on the matter when I am breathing down the back of his neck. I am sure he knows more than he has hinted at."

"You think he knows where Hanabusa is?"

"He would be a very poor want-to-be king indeed if he did not have some idea, at the very least. Especially not when one considers the allies he keeps."

"What do you mean?" the knight asked, perplexed.

"His guard... This Seiren..." Lord Aidou trailed off, considering. "Keep a close eye on the both of them. And on the situation here in Ashgate as well. It seems to me that the people are on edge after so many sudden changes. My men report that there is unrest in the city."

Akatsuki nodded. "I will."

"Why is it that you have remained here, I wonder? It would have been wise for you to return home. And yet, you pledge your blade to this lord instead."

The youth felt himself still under the penetrating gaze of his uncle. It was true, he should have returned home as soon as King Kaien had passed. He had come here under protection of the king, as one of his wards, and the moment Kaien had ceased to breathe had been the moment that such protection had been rescinded.

He was a fool. He knew it, and yet he could not stop himself. Akatsuki was all too aware of why he remained here in this dangerous place. He was trapped, trapped by soft brown eyes and honey hair, trapped by the fiery yet elegant girl he had grown up with. A girl who had long since become a woman, and that woman was devoted to someone else... Ruka Souen would never deign to look upon him in the way he desired. She was the blossom of the court, a beauty of many talents. And he... He was nothing when compared to that. Yet despite that, he was content to merely remain by her side. As long as she was safe and happy, he didn't require anything else.

"Tell me this isn't a woman." Nagamichi's voice broke through his reverie like sharp splinters of glass.

The redhead averted his eyes, unable to deny this statement.

"Love is weakness, Akatsuki. Women are weakness. If you allow yourself to be caught up in sentiment...you may very well be walking down a path that leads to your death. This may seem cruel, but love is not a luxury that noble men such as ourselves can afford. You must think of what is best for the kingdoms, what is best for your own lands. I know your brother Kan rules the Dawn Plains now, but as you have witnessed, sometimes within the blink of an eye everything can change. And believe me, nephew, there is nothing more painful than protecting someone you love."

The knight's fists clenched in his lap. He knew he should heed his uncle's advice and forget Ruka. His life would be far more peaceful without her. But how could he forget her? He had only to close his eyes and he could see her smiling, hear the ringing of her laugh. It had been a long time since he had heard that sweet sound. A very long time...

"I value your wisdom, Uncle." He did not elaborate. It was likely clear anyway that he could not abandon the woman he loved to a den of vipers.

"I suggest you consider it, as well." Nagamichi took a sip of his wine and then stood. "Very well. We shall reconvene soon. I will send for you."

"Take care, Uncle," Akatsuki told him sincerely before leaving the his uncle's rooms.

As he stepped back out into the hall, the knight hesitated. He had planned to return to the throne room after speaking with his uncle, but something propelled him in the opposite direction, away from the political mire that would drag him under. Letting his feet lead, he began to meander through the passages of the castle, lost in a different set of passages in his mind.

His thoughts churned, regurgitating Nagamichi's advice. He knew his uncle was right. He should not remain here at court for a woman who would never see him as anything more than a friend at best. Despite that, if he were to return home he knew he would spend every day thinking and worrying about Ruka. She was a strong woman, and as she so loved to remind him, she could take care of herself. For his peace of mind, it didn't matter. If he could not witness with his own eyes that she was alright, his preoccupations would get the best of him.

As children, he had always been overprotective of Ruka. When they were much younger, Ruka had been far more of a troublemaker than she was now. He could even remember a few fights she had gotten into... He had always leapt to her rescue, much to her irritation. She preferred to pull her own punches. He had already liked her, for her spirit and her sense of adventure. And then, somewhere along the way, she had seemingly transformed overnight into a becoming, graceful young woman; the very embodiment of nobility. For him, Ruka was everything: the bitter and the sweet, the bold and the subtle, but it was the glimpses of that audacious, uninhibited, and candid side of her that continued to steal his breath away.

Except Ruka did not love him. Each and every time she fell in love, it was not with him. The men she loved were elegant, beautiful creatures. Akatsuki did not match up to such an image. Where those men were delicate, he was a knight through and through, tall and broad and muscled from years of training. Compared to them, he felt unrefined. Even if he would have been better for her, even if he understood her as they never could, the only difference that mattered between him and those men was that Ruka loved them and not him.

Depressed, he hooked to the left, veering out into a small courtyard. It was one of the preferred places for the noble women to have tea and chat, although he assumed it would be unoccupied at the moment since it was an odd time for tea. The courtyard itself was one of the smaller ones, ringed with columns carved with roses. The path that cut through the middle was lined with a pair of trellis overgrown with soft white blooms. Beyond the path to either side were grassy, empty areas lined with flower beds. The openness of the courtyard made it ideal for tea or brunch or the like.

As he began to cross the yard towards the opposing hallway, he saw that his assumption had been wrong. There was indeed a tea table set up in the nearest corner of the courtyard where the shadows had steeped the area in cool darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the three figures seated at the table, his heart stopped momentarily. There she was. The only woman Akatsuki Kain had ever loved, or ever would love, of that he was certain. He slowed his pace, absorbing her features, the tilt of her fingers around the curve of her teacup's handle.

Even in the stark shadows of the alcove, Ruka Souen was beautiful. Her hair had been woven back into an elaborate, long honey braid, decorated with small scarlet rosebuds that accentuated the amber undertones of her hair. Today, she wore a burnished red and gold gown with a sweeping neckline and long, billowing sleeves. The embroidery over the gold was hard to distinguish at this distance and in the shadows, but Akatsuki thought perhaps the design was flames. It was a dress that would have suited a member of his household. His heart dropped along with his gaze. Unfortunately, the breathtaking woman before him would never be a Kain. No, instead her heart remained forever closed to him.

"I simply cannot bear to receive another letter from my mother," he heard one of her companions, a narrow-faced noble he recognized as Lady Yasuko, whine. "She asks far too many questions. The last letter numbered ten pages. Ten! Can you believe that?" The noble woman rolled her eyes indignantly.

Ruka glanced away, brown eyes clouded. Akatsuki knew he shouldn't linger, but he couldn't help but wonder what was troubling her. It wasn't often that Ruka was quiet like this. He slowed his pace even further, keeping his eyes on the path and admiring the flowers he passed even as he listened to their conversation.

"My parents continue hounding me with letters, as well..." Ruka informed her friend, voice lacking its usual strength. "I've been ignoring them, but... They want to formalize an engagement proposal..."

"What?!" the other noble, a plump woman whose name he believed to be Rika, all but screeched. "Finally! To who?"

Akatsuki stopped now, too, unable to help himself as his gaze jerked back up to her face. Emotions warred within his breast. Part of him hoped against all hope that the engagement might be to himself, although he knew it could not be as neither his mother nor his brother had mentioned any such possibility. Another part of him hoped that it was not to him. For Ruka to show such an unhappy expression...he did not want to be the cause of that. A third part was both despondent and resigned. Of course he wanted Ruka for himself, but he had known for years now that the day would come when he would have to say goodbye. Perhaps it was time, as his uncle had suggested, to return home.

Before the knight could hear the answer, however, he heard his name. "Akatsuki!" He blinked, snapping back to the moment and glancing up to see Ruka had spotted him. A faint blush stained her cheeks, suggesting that she knew he had heard her announcement.

"Forgive me, my Lady," he murmured abashedly, bowing. There was no way to deny that he had been eavesdropping now...

"Is the engagement to Lord Akatsuki?" Yasuko inquired suddenly, expression brightening further. "Please say it is! Everyone knows the two of you would make _such_ a good match, and you're such good friends as well! And," she winked slyly at the red-haired knight, "he's very handsome, too."

The pink flush adorning Ruka's cheeks deepened, but she shook her head slightly, denying this. "Who it is isn't any of your concern," she replied haughtily.

"Oh Ruka, you can't tell me you haven't noticed that Akatsuki dotes on you," Rika teased.

"Akatsuki, don't you think that Ruka is lovely?" Yasuko asked, ignoring Ruka's glare.

Caught off guard, the knight shifted uncomfortably. Trapped, he could only speak the truth. "Of course she is lovely..."

"See what we are telling you?" The noble woman giggled.

Ruka pursed her lips. "Of course I'm lovely. Asking him such a question is pointless. Everyone knows that." She stood. "My parents have selected a suitor based on their opinions, anyway."

The noble ladies looked disappointed, and Akatsuki turned to leave, heart as heavy as a stone in his chest.

"No, wait," the honey-haired noble spoke softly, words snaring around his ankles and holding him in place. "I needed to speak with you. Yasuko, Rika, if you will excuse me, please?"

Yasuko waved her off, "Go ahead. I did say I had to meet with my sister, after all, and it's growing rather late. But I expect you to tell me all of the details about this engagement later!"

"Of course," Ruka murmured, standing and moving to the knight's side.

"Did you want some alone time with Akatsuki before the engagement?" Rika winked, ignoring Akatsuki's presence.

"Goodbye," Ruka sighed, clearly less than pleased with the turn the conversation had taken.

"We'll see you later then," Yasuko told her friend, motioning to the servants to clear the table as she and Rika swept away in a cloud of white and mint green skirts.

"Walk with me," Ruka beckoned, continuing down the path in the opposite direction that the Lady Yasuko had chosen.

Akatsuki waited. Although he did not feel that he was a man of many talents, he did consider himself patient. He had waited his entire life for Ruka to notice him as anything other than a friend. He could wait the span of a few mere moments to know who her parents planned to wed her to. At the very least, he knew it could not be to Kaname, judging from her reaction.

The pair passed into the hallway on the other side of the courtyard. At this time of day, the passage was empty. Their footsteps echoed slightly, highlighting the silence that thronged around them. From the corner of his eye, the knight could see that Ruka was frowning pensively, her brows drawn together and creasing the middle of her brow. It was an expression he rarely saw on the woman's face; one he knew did not bode well for what she was about to say.

At last, she answered the unspoken question. "They want me to marry Rido Kuran."

The name lodged like a dagger in his stomach. Rido Kuran. The man was a murderer, if nothing else. Rido had killed Princess Yuki's parents and been banished from Ashgate. Despite that, he had carved himself out a kingdom with blood and violence. Now, he was once again in a position of power and commanded the largest naval force in the Nine Kingdoms. He was not exactly an old man, but he had to be at least twice Ruka's age and had already married several times. All of his previous wives were dead, although Akatsuki could not be sure of the circumstances. Regardless, Rido was exactly the type of lord that the knight had dreaded Ruka might wed. It seemed his worst nightmares, and hers, were coming true.

"And how do you feel about it?" he questioned, although he was already sure of her response.

Immediately, her eyes glittered a reply, one both fierce and incensed. "It's outrageous!" She halted in the hall, stomping her foot and tossing back her hair.

The knight held his breath for a moment. Enflamed like this with anger, Ruka appeared even more gorgeous. The wild, untamed emotions that struck like lightning in her eyes sent a jolt of electricity to his heart, as well.

"I refuse to acknowledge this...this atrocity," Ruka declared. "My parents can send as many letters as they please, but until realize their mistake I won't deign to answer a single one."

"Shouldn't you tell them your thoughts on the matter, though?" he asked. Ruka had always been spoiled by her parents. Surely she could convince them not to go through with this engagement.

"I wrote them once, but they continue to pester me."

"Are they aware of your efforts to win Lord Kaname's heart?" He glanced away momentarily. He did not wish to see the shift in her expression at the mention of the Kuran lord's name.

"Yes..." She sighed, and as his gaze returned to her face he saw her own turn watery. Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "But Lord Kaname has refused any union to a Souen. Since I am the youngest child of my family...there is little benefit for him to marry me, it would seem... If the engagement with Rido falls through, however...my parents did say they would consider another of my suggestions. Only...my lord husband will never be Kaname..." She trembled, torn between infuriation and sorrow. It was clear that she wasn't ready to give up her dream to become Kaname's wife while also clear that she was unable to do so.

Her words and the endless bounds of her adoration for Lord Kaname scratched against his skin. Akatsuki took a slow, deep breath to steady himself. There was still a shred of hope, as scant as it may have been. Ruka was not yet wed. The engagement had not been solidified, either. If only she would see him as he saw her. If only she would open her heart to him, just a little.

"Perhaps...it is not fated to be," Akatsuki suggested, nursing the sliver of hope that the turn of events had inspired.

"If that is fate then I curse it!" Ruka spun away, shoulders trembling with the momentum of her emotions. "How dare Kaname refuse me? How dare my parents stoop to this?"

He waited, weighing his options. Telling Ruka the depth of his love for her now would be a mistake. The young woman was still wounded after losing the object of her affections. He felt resigned, drained. The moment to tell her never seemed to arrive. By now, he had harbored this secret desire for so many years that he was rarely struck any more by the urge to divulge his feelings. It had simply become part of his life.

Instead, he said, "Focus on what is attainable. That is the only way to move forward. If Kaname is out of your reach, then prevent this engagement if you truly do not wish it."

The noble woman turned back to face him, arms folded and expression serious. She nodded and, to his surprise, agreed easily, "You're right. I should fight this engagement rather than waste my energy on Lord Kaname. The most important thing is that I am able to remain by his side."

The knight lifted an eyebrow slightly. Leave it to Ruka to presume such a thing. That was one of the aspects he loved about her, though. She was headstrong and stubborn, and when she wanted something she would fight for it. Giving up was not Ruka Souen's style, and Akatsuki admired her for it.

"I must counsel you to have a back-up plan in place, however. Otherwise, your parents will proceed with an engagement that is not of your choosing. You should choose a suitor that you would not be averse to wedding." He held his breath, wishing with all of his being that she would say his name.

"I suppose I wouldn't be averse to marrying someone like Takuma Ichijou," she admitted, and Akatsuki felt the last of his hopes sputter out and die, releasing along with his breath and dispersing into the air. "At the very least, I could see Lord Kaname from time to time. Anyway, Lord Takuma is beautiful, too, even if he doesn't compare to Lord Kaname..."

"You should write your parents and explain this," the knight advised, a touch mechanically.

"Yes, if I'm going to oppose the engagement I need to make my opinion known. Apart from that, I'm not really sure what to do. Anyway, thank you, Akatsuki! I knew I needed to speak with you. My head always seems so much clearer after talking with you," she beamed, and for a moment the red-head was dazed, enraptured by her brilliance.

And that was it. Ruka needed him to act as her conscious, as the sounding board for ideas she already had. He released a slow breath. Maybe it was time he finally let her go.

* * *

 **A/N:** A new narrator pops up. Kaname is sitting on the throne, even if he's not yet king. And now Nagamichi Aidou enters the scene. What do you think of the Aidou lord and Ruka's engagement?

Also, Happy Holidays!


	29. 29 Yuki

**YUKI**

As the day hovered at the edge of twilight, the sun sinking low in the sky, The Vale came increasingly to life. Multi-colored paper lanterns bobbed in the limbs of the trees, winking like fairies in the dusk. The music that drifted from the Wakaba manor was light, whimsical, and merry; the air which carried it beyond those walls was laden with exotic perfumes and the scents of freshly made dishes prepared by the kingdom's finest chefs. The usual serenity of the town had transformed into a celebration on this night, to honor the princess and renew the long lasting friendship between the Wakaba and royal families.

In the center of the festivities, Yuki remained at Yori's side as the lords and ladies of the Wakaba court whirled by them in a myriad of vibrant colors. Despite the atmosphere of the party, the princess appeared perturbed, her expression clouded with somber thoughts.

"I wish we could have visited under better circumstances…" Yuki sighed, eyes darkening with the shadows of grim thoughts.

Yori gave her friend's arm a squeeze. "I am glad for the opportunity to see you, at the very least."

The princess smiled wanly. "I'm afraid we aren't in the best condition either... It's your first time meeting my knights... It should be a happier occasion." Changing the subject slightly to lighten the mood, she asked, "What do you think of them?"

"They're just as you described." Yori grinned. "The only trait they share is being handsome."

Yuki giggled. "It's like being in a painting. I'm surrounded by artwork wherever I go. I don't know if I should be glad or cry. I stand out like a sore thumb!"

Her friend shook her head. "Untrue. But I think you should feel very safe with them. Zero especially seems to always have one eye on you, no matter where you are in the room…"

"He takes his job very seriously," she affirmed.

"I'm sure that's why," Yori muttered under her breath, just loud enough that Yuki caught the words.

"At least...he hasn't caused me to doubt his dedication to his duty," Yuki responded, a touch sullenly, though she strove to keep it from her voice.

Yori gave her a measuring look, accompanied by a sympathetic smile, but only replied, "Anyway, you're very lucky to have him."

The princess narrowed her eyes, but let the comment go. Then, deviously, she inquired, "And Hanabusa?" She was almost certain Yori would have no interest in him, but she needed to be completely sure. Otherwise, who knew what kind of command the lord would devise for her…

On cue, her friend rolled her eyes hugely. "I don't know how you put up with him."

"Actually, he's good company when he's with me. Serious at times, even." Yuki cast a glance the knight's way. She wondered how he would react if he heard her praising him a little.

The look Yori sent her way was one of utter disbelief. Yuki fought down a triumphant smile. As she'd suspected, there was little to no chance that Hanabusa would win. She had utter confidence in her friend. Trying to get Yori to fall for anyone would have been like trying to fell one of these great trees: nearly impossible without the help of a small army.

"There are dozens of girls in this town…" Yori stared at Hanabusa dourly.

"I can't blame him for targeting you, but his behavior is really annoying," the princess sympathized. "Just try to ignore him."

"Oh, I will," her friend assured her.

As if hearing his name, the blond knight wandered over then, smiling amiably. "Good evening Princess, My L-Yori," he corrected himself suddenly.

"Even if you are the heir," Yuki poked the short-haired girl playfully. Yori had never liked to be called a lady. Unfortunately, it was a title that was hard to shake, especially given that Yori _was_ in fact of noble birth, or at least she was after her father had claimed her as a legitimate child and heir.

Yori shrugged. "Perhaps if I do rule in my father's place one day I'll make use of the title."

"Forgive me, but doesn't it seem like there's someone rather out of place here?" Hanabusa threw a meaningful look at Zero, who was standing in the corner not far away, keeping an eye on them from a distance just as he would have at the palace.

"Zero!" Yuki called out immediately, motioning him over. The knight blinked once, then slowly began to make his way towards them.

"Perhaps a smaller celebration would have been more suitable..." Yori frowned thoughtfully, observing the knight's obvious discomfort.

"That wouldn't have made a difference," Hanabusa murmured in response.

By then, however, Zero had reached them. Yuki felt her lips nudging upwards automatically, remembering how much her knight disliked formal events. She reached up, adjusting the white carnation that someone had tucked into the front pocket of his jacket. Zero might be a knight of common birth, but tonight he was dressed as a noble, courtesy of Yori and her family. He wore the colors of the Kuran house, black trimmed with rich burgundy red. It was an outfit that complimented Yuki's perfectly, as she had worn a deep crimson gown accented with black lace. The garments had been gifts from Lord Hakuba, to honor them, just as this ball was. Likewise, the lord had given Hanabusa suitable attire in the blue and gold colors of his house. Yori, of course, was dressed in shades of green, as was her father.

The music shifted now, changing to that of the Virid Waltz. Yuki brightened. This was a dance that she knew fairly well, and one of her favorites. Although she would have liked to dance with Zero, dancing was something he strongly disliked. As such, growing up, it has always been Hanabusa who had been paired with her during her dance lessons.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked the blond, a touch eagerly.

Hanabusa chuckled. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" He paused, listening to the melody. Then he shook his head. "Forgive me, princess, but I believe that Zero is better equipped to accompany you in this dance. I seem to recall that he was the one to learn it with you…" Hanabusa smiled at the silver knight.

Startled, Yuki suddenly remembered that this had indeed been the waltz that she had learned with Zero. Hanabusa had been confined to his quarters with some variety of the flu, and her dance instructor had insisted that she begin learning the waltz for the upcoming ball her adopted father had been hosting. It had been Zero who had been assigned to learn it with her.

"You were conveniently ill that day," Zero muttered.

"Regardless, I never learned the steps," the blond responded unapologetically.

Yuki glanced hesitantly at Zero. She wanted to dance with him, but would he actually agree..? She bit her lip, unsure if she should ask.

The knight was watching her carefully. As if reading her thoughts, he sighed and extended his hand to her in invitation. Despite his obvious reluctance, Yuki didn't want to pass up the opportunity. Smiling, she took Zero's hand and followed him onto the floor. As they parted ways with her friend and the young Aidou lord, however, she could have sworn she heard Hanabusa mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'idiots.' She quickly turned her head, catching him rolling his eyes as Yori grinned.

She squinted, pulling Zero to a stop beside her. Yori immediately squashed her smile, exchanging a swift although completely unreadable look with the blond knight.

"Go enjoy yourself Yuki," her friend replied serenely, waving her off.

Yuki hesitated, but the slight tug that Zero gave her hand made her decision. She followed the silver knight the rest of the way out onto the floor where the nobles of the Wakaba household danced. The tune was reminiscent of the same one that had played the last time she had danced with Zero. That had been a couple of years ago, when Hanabusa had been too ill to join her during her dance lessons.

As Zero took one of her hands and placed the other against her waist, she was transported back to that distant time. The time when everything had been filled with light, and she had still been able to see her adopted father's face smiling at her...

" _I thought you didn't dance?" Yuki teased, peering up at the silver-haired knight's face._

 _Violet eyes glanced away, avoiding the question. Then, in a low voice, "I don't…"_

 _"Mmm...doesn't seem that way," she teased. It was true. Although Zero wasn't as adept as Hanabusa, he was able to gracefully follow the rhythm of the dance. It surprised her. He had always so vehemently insisted that he held no interest in dancing, yet now he demonstrated that he was quite capable._

 _Yuki easily followed the steps, ears growing deaf to her instructor, who encouraged her with suggestions from time to time. Her world had narrowed to the young man with whom she danced, and she let the notes cocoon the two of them as if within a secret. The music flowed around them, a tide of notes and sentiments in which Yuki felt herself carried along helplessly. She always enjoyed her dance lessons with Hanabusa, since he never seemed to err in a single step and his constant banter was amusing, but suddenly it was as if the atmosphere had changed. The very atoms in the air seemed to vibrate around her head, their movements weighing down the hands of the clock and slowing time itself. Her dance lessons had never before been like this… Her hand and waist felt very warm where Zero touched her, and her own fingers were perched tremulously against his shoulder, filled with a soft nervous energy that was entirely unfamiliar to her._

 _When she turned her eyes upward to meet his, she felt the purple hue of those irises infuse her vision with soft lavender light. There was something profound suffusing the space around them, something that ran far deeper than words could convey. A feeling quivered across her heart, rippling across its surface and shooting through her veins. It was something that she dared not touch, something mysterious that she was sure she could identify if she peered far enough within herself. Yet, somehow, she sensed that it was fragile, and she did not want to shatter the moment._

Now, repeating those same dance steps, staring up once again into those violet eyes, Yuki felt the stirring of that same emotion within her chest. It was an emotion that she scarcely dared name, for fear of the consequences...for fear of rejection. For as long as she could remember in Ashgate, this feeling had been forbidden, and now that it was not she still felt restrained, not understanding her knight's heart. He had certainly never given her any indication that what he felt for her extended beyond fealty or friendship. But even so, far away from the palace, lost in nostalgia and purple, the love she had only recently acknowledged lightly brushed against the edges of her heart once again.

Taking a breath, she forced her gaze away, outward towards the swirl of colorful skirts of the women who danced by them. Her breast felt painfully tight, her ribs squeezing down against her flesh, threatening to burst with the weight of the emotion she harbored. She focused on the tactile sensations of the floor beneath her heels, the material of Zero's jacket, the humidity of the summer night air that pressed against her skin. Nevertheless, she felt her attention helplessly drawn to his fingers twined with hers, the heat of his palm... She shut her eyes, suddenly afraid. If she dared to let go, if she dared to lose herself in violet and give in to this emotion that she had only recently discovered, what would happen...? She trembled to even consider such a perilous thought. Zero felt nothing for her, surely... He was bound to his duty, a dear friend, but nothing more. Right...? She glanced up at him then, immediately losing her train of thought as she was plunged once more into violet.

Mercifully, the music at last ceased, transitioning into another song. She was released. His fingers slid from hers as he stepped back, and she was able to look at him again without fear of losing control of her expression. The moment was gone. Yuki allowed herself the span of a few seconds to collect herself. The humidity made her a little light-headed and she felt flushed, although whether this was the result of the room temperature or the lean of her thoughts, she couldn't be sure.

"Thank you, Zero. I think I need to step outside for a minute, though..." she managed. His brow furrowed worriedly, but she waved it off. "I'm fine; I just need some fresh air."

She turned then, heading for the open doors at the end of the hall that led out into one of the many gardens that riddled the manor. It was necessary to force her way through the throng at times, but otherwise her exit was unimpeded. Once she had stepped through the threshold into the garden, she felt her muscles gradually relax and inhaled deeply. The air here was a pleasant blend of a medley of blooms and herbs, carefully tended by the Wakaba family. A little ways down the dirt path to her right was a log fashioned into a bench. Mindful of her shoes, she carefully moved towards the log and sat, adjusting her skirts.

A movement caught her eye, and Yuki turned to see that Zero had followed her, standing unobtrusively off to the side as he always did. Suppressing an almost exasperated smile, she motioned for him to join her. A moment later, the knight was sitting beside her on the log bench.

"You don't have to stay here, Zero," she told him, although she was aware that he already knew. Yuki had a feeling that even if she was to forever lose her place as a princess, Zero would continue to watch over her as he always had.

The silver knight said nothing, and she shook her head slightly. "We aren't at the palace anymore, you know. There's no reason to maintain so much formality. And besides, the Wakaba guards are protecting us."

"I am your Bloodguard until death," he replied solemnly, his reserve as unwavering as his sword arm.

Her slight smile choked itself on her lips. The violet that had ensnared her during their dance together had become as hard as granite in a face as stoic as granite. Zero had always been far too observant of the rules, of the boundaries. Getting closer to him had been a fight since the first day they had met, a struggle that continued even now...

Yuki knew that they could never openly be friends like her and Yori or Hanabusa could be. She knew that, had always known that, and yet she could not stop herself from resisting such a restriction. She hated the superfluous reasons that prevented them from having a similar relationship. It seemed silly to her that she could not publicly reveal their friendship when Zero was one of her Bloodguard, a man to whom she entrusted her life. A man to whom she owed far more than that... Zero was the only one she felt she could truly, _completely_ confide in. She would entrust her life to him a thousand times over. More.

Her chest constricted with pressure. Zero was already closer to her than anyone... More precious, as well... Her eyes fled to the bush of white roses off to her right, to the unstained petals that had not yet known color. Their blank faces calmed her. Sometimes she felt as though she didn't want Zero to be her knight after all. Sometimes... Her nails picked at the edge of the bench. Sometimes, she wanted him to be so much more...

Suddenly overwhelmed with her thoughts, Yuki blurted out the first words that rose to her mind, in need of a distraction. "It feels nice to finally be able to slow down a little now. After everything that's happened...after all this running...I'm glad that we're able to stop here for a while."

"What do you plan to do, then?" Zero asked her.

Yuki frowned, contemplating his question and the garden around them. It would not be difficult to stay here with Yori, after all. Yuki knew her friend and Lord Hakuba would welcome them to stay here indefinitely if that was what they wished. And yet, the idea washed across her skin with grains of sand. It was an abrasive feeling. She did not wish to take advantage of the Wakaba family's hospitality, or to potentially put them at risk. It might be dangerous for them if she were to remain here, after all... It would be selfish to stay, and burdensome to the friendship between her family's and Yori's.

What other option did she have, though? If she left the protection of The Vale, she could be running for the rest of her life. If not, she would have to find a way to regain the throne and the kingdoms, but she wasn't sure where to even begin. Could she live out her life as a fugitive? Or did she want to return, to take back everything that Kaname had stolen from her?

"I'm not sure..." She finally confessed. "We could stay here, I know Yori and her family would welcome us, but...neither do I want to endanger them. We could continue to run, but what kind of life is that? Or we could take back the throne...although I don't know how..."

Zero fell silent for a moment, weighing the possibilities in his mind. At last, he turned to her, tone solemn as he spoke. "Whatever you decide, I will stand beside you."

The words sunk deep into her flesh, igniting sparks where they grazed against her spirit. Abruptly, the entire world had been plunged into a purple dye. The feeling before, from the dance, returned, bubbling up from within her with no release. Sitting here in the garden, so far away from the life she had known before, it was almost as if she was home again. That home did not exist now, it had been brutally wrenched away from her, and yet somehow it had been preserved. Zero always made her feel safe, at home. He had always been beside her. Now, he was as necessary for her as the air she breathed.

Spellbound by her thoughts, Yuki's eyes shifted, fastening to the profile of her knight, tracing down his brow, the bridge of his nose, his chin. Somewhere inside of her, this strange and powerful feeling called love had always existed. Even if she had only realized it recently, it had always been there, born so long ago that she could no longer remember when it had begun. Somewhere, too, was the selfish desire to leave behind her claim to the throne. If she did, there would no longer be any boundaries to divide them. Instead, perhaps... A blush exhaled across her cheeks. She did not wish to go back to that life cut away from him, but she also could not permit Zero to live his life as a fugitive with her. But maybe, if her feelings could reach him, maybe...those boundaries could be thrown away.

Feeling a sudden burst of courage, she asked, "No matter what I ask, you will always be honest with me, won't you?" She was unsure, but she desperately needed to know some indication of his feelings. Was his devotion to her purely obligation, or was there the possibility of something more? Never before had she dared to ask such a question. Until now...

"Of course. I would never lie to you, Yuki," he said, seeming surprised by the question.

She took a breath and plunged ahead, "If I were just a common girl with no titles...if you knew me that way...would you have even a semblance of your current devotion for me? I mean...if you weren't my Bloodguard..." She bit the inside of her lip and curled her toes tightly inside her shoes. What if he should reject her completely..?

Zero's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Her question had cracked his usually unreadable expression, if only very slightly. For a moment, he didn't respond. The night had slowed to a crawl, punctuated by her breaths and the pace of her increasing pulse.

His gaze shot away, across the garden. Then, "Yes. But... You are a girl of titles. Nothing will change that. However, you have this devotion until the last of the stars die."

She was about to respond, when he added, "My sword is sworn to you. Now and always."

Within his words was the tiniest glimmer of hope. It was minuscule, hidden, but nevertheless it was better than nothing. Even if there was a possibility there for love, however, Yuki knew his words were true. She was the princess and she wanted to do right by him, Hanabusa, and her father. She wanted justice for what they had suffered. Even so… There was still a chance that he might love her. And no matter what, he would be there to support her, as he had said, now and always.

A small smile flicked across her lips. Zero would never leave her side. And for the grievances that Zero had suffered back at the palace, she owed him justice. She should not simply give up everything. She owed that much to her adopted father and deceased parents as well. Somehow, some way, she would take back what was rightfully hers. Zero was her strength, her courage, her heart. Surely, together, the two of them could accomplish anything.

Feeling uplifted and stricken by the rapid beating of her heart, Yuki suddenly leaned forward and pressed her lips to her knight's cheek. With so much emotion swarming in her heart, she could only convey all of her thoughts, all of what she might say, through this small, rash, physical gesture. She knew that she could not transmit even a fraction of what was in her heart to him at this moment, but over time, gradually, she hoped that she might reach him.

"Thank you, Zero," she murmured, close to his skin, before she stood.

The knight had gone utterly still, surprised by her action. She smiled at him brightly. "Shall we return to the party?"

He blinked, standing reflexively. Then, "What have you decided?"

Determination edged her voice as she replied, "I'm going to reclaim what's mine."

* * *

 **A/N:** -wiggles eyebrows- Zeroooo pay attention to what Yuki is trying to tell youuuuu~ Not much Yori in this chapter but don't worry, pretty soon she will kinda hijack the narrative LOL.

Also, Happy New Year!


	30. 30 Takuma

**A/N:** We interrupt your Yuki broadcasting to bring you Takuma Ichijou, sponsored by Bad Decisions, Bad Decisions Everywhere.

* * *

 **TAKUMA**

Takuma shifted on his horse, green eyes sweeping over the rolling hills of golden grass that stretched out endlessly around them. The sky was a striking, vivid blue laden with soft, full clouds. Insects chirped and hummed as they passed, and the kiss of summer sun was on his skin. It was a beautiful day, with the promise of a beautiful, warm evening, and yet the lord felt the drum of melancholy through his veins.

He and his small party of six guards had nearly reached The Citadel. In another day or so of travel they would be passing through its gates. The next night would surely be spent at the Shirabuki manor. Nevertheless, he could not shake the guilt and dejection that had bloomed in the wake of his actions. He could not forget the expression on his lord's face when he had learned of the betrayal. Kaname was the closest friend that Takuma had. He did not wish for that friendship to be strained thus, he did not yet know how to repair it. Not when he did not regret what he had done... No, he would stand by his decision.

It didn't help to distill his mood that they were traveling to meet with the Shirabuki family, either. That fact left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. A few years previously, his grandfather had sent him to stay with them in the very same city, where talk had begun to arrange his marriage to the youngest of the two Shirabuki sisters, the Lady Yui. She was beautiful, though a touch vain, but there had been something strange about her that he had disliked immediately. He had pushed for the annulment of the negotiations for their marriage, and thankfully, the union had never come to fruition.

He closed his eyes briefly to disband the chill that crept along his arms and spine. He could recall, almost with nightmarish quality, the glow of Sara's blue eyes as they haunted him in the dark corridors of her manor. Fitting that the emblem of the Shirabuki house was a spider... He had never understood why Sara had fixated on him, why she had demanded the engagement be between her and himself rather than with her sister. Regardless, it had been clear that she had set out to catch him in her web. He had been only too glad to leave the first time. He had promised himself he would never return unless the need was dire. And yet, here he was... He could refuse Kaname nothing.

Nearby, a few of the guards were singing merrily, completely unaware of his mood. He tried to relax, listening instead to their off-key but heartening melody. To his other side, another pair of guards were conversing about the Ochre Hills. To distract himself, he listened to them instead.

"I miss the sea," the female guard, Hinata, commented. "It would be nice if we were going all the way to the shore."

"If you close your eyes, it's almost like we're there. The wind, the smell of salt. Close your eyes," the guard beside her, Kei, commanded.

She shook her head in disbelief, grumbling, "You can't smell the sea from here." Despite her words, she did so anyway.

Kei proceeded to make some ridiculous cawing noise like a gull. Hinata rolled her eyes, snorting, "Very charming."

"No, if you listen, I'm a seagull, and we're at the sea," Kei insisted.

"I've been to the sea many times," Hinata assured him. "I love to sit and write or draw there. And I have to say, no seagull in the Nine Kingdoms sounds like whatever noise you just produced."

"Hey!" Kei appeared insulted. "As a matter of fact-"

The words changed to an unintelligible splutter of gurgling syllables as an arrow inserted itself through his throat. The guard vomited his sentence in blood, clutching at his neck with bulging eyes as he fell to the ground. In the next instant, the rest of the guards had formed a ring around Takuma, drawing their weapons. Kei twitched and sputtered on the ground in a wet, crimson puddle just beyond their circle.

The lord quickly assessed the situation, drawing his blade in a flash. Around him, there was only grass. He thought he detected movement off to his right, but as soon as his eyes had darted over, it was gone. He breathed deeply, slowly, remaining calm. These were likely bandits who had gotten a lucky shot. The next arrow might not reach a target at all.

Suddenly, from the tall grasses shot several more arrows, this time blocked by the guards' shields. The arrows were followed by several figures, dressed in earthy yellow-orange and brown hues to blend into the landscape around them. They wielded long, sharp lances, which they used to strike at the horses from a distance. At their belts, Takuma could see they carried swords as well. Cursing mentally, he felt himself tense, at the ready for the fight. These were obviously not mere bandits.

Another arrow flew from the grass, lodged itself squarely into Hinata's brow. She fell heavily to the earth with barely a cry. The captain of the guards shouted, "Retreat! Protect Lord Takuma!"

Takuma spurred his horse away, surrounded by the remaining members of his guard. What was happening? Why were they being attacked in Shirabuki lands? The Shirabuki had no quarrel with Kaname. His eyes widened. Unless... Unless the quarrel was with him. Perhaps the sisters were insane enough to want him dead after refusing them both. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins.

The group did not make it far, however. As they retreated, four mounted figures loomed, blocking the path with crossbows. One of the bolts found a third guard. His body, too, littered the golden hills like the two before him. Takuma yanked the reins to the left. If nothing else, he had a chance outrunning them. As his horse sped, however, something heavy collided with his torso, propelling him heavily to the ground.

Takuma hit the ground like a doll, with an impact enough to rattle him. He forced himself to move, looking down to see a rope attached to three iron balls wrapped around him. A bola? He had never seen one used before, except in a smaller scale for hunting. This one, however, was made with thicker rope...to catch a larger prey, he ascertained. He sat up, unwinding it as quickly as he could, although with difficulty. His chest and left arm throbbed where the iron balls had struck him.

The lord glanced up in time to see one of the camouflaged men nearly upon him. He leapt to his feet, drawing his sword in time to block the first attack. Up close, the assailant was fearsome, his skin leathery and scarred. One eye was red around the pupil, and where his right ear had once been was now only a hole of puckered flesh. His missing ear did not subtract from the danger he presented, however. Takuma dodged another strike, the steel blade passing so closely to the skin of his arm that he could feel it pass. The blond lord heard a scream. One of his guard? One of their men? He couldn't be sure. Already another slash was coming, and he raised his arm to parry. The fall had shaken and bruised him, slowing his reactions slightly, but he was an expert with the sword and able to hold his own despite this.

Another of the attackers charged him, this one burly and heavily tattooed, and Takuma rapidly leapt back. The first attacker swung. He ducked, chopping at their feet. Time had come to a standstill, and the world had narrowed to the fight before him. He was unaware of the fate of his guards, or even his own beyond the two men before him. It was all he could do to block their attacks.

Takuma saw an opening in the second attacker's defense and thrust his sword forward, feeling the resistance as he encountered the man's flesh. He pushed through and forward, using the weight of the man to stumble into the first. Then, wresting the blade from the second one's grasp, he chopped downward with all his strength, splitting the first man open at the shoulder. Blood spewed out of the gaping wound, coating the young lord's clothes. The two attackers crumpled in a heap.

Pain collided with the back of his skull, bursting outward in a firework of white light. Takuma stumbled, falling to a knee, stunned. Through his muddled vision, he saw that a third man had snuck up on him while he had been occupied with the first two. The attacker kicked him in the side of his ribcage with brutal force. Takuma thought he heard a crunch as he fell. The hilt of the sword dropped from his limp fingers. He tasted dirt and coughed, spitting as he attempted to right himself.

For the second time, he was struck in the back of the head. For a moment, all he could see were a series of colors and geometric shapes accented by a terrible ringing sound. He gasped for air, his ribs and chest in agony. He thought to find his sword, but realized a moment later that his arms were not responding. Sucking in a breath, he looked wildly around, attempting to locate his assailant. However, in his immediate vicinity he did not see or sense anyone. Had he been left for dead? Was he dying? The pain echoed down the back of his neck viciously. He was incapable of movement.

Helpless, as he lay forgotten in the dirt the world grew perilously grey, blurring and cracking before his eyes. The billowing grass smeared together into an ambiguous, muddy mass that slid and waved before his eyes in a landslide of nearly indecipherable shapes. He could feel the heat of pain in his ribs and the back of his head, but already it had become as amorphous as the world around him. Something hot trickled down his cheek, snaking thickly onto the ground.

His eyelids felt heavy, as if drug down by leaden anchors. He resisted stubbornly, clinging to conscious with a tenuous grip that slipped with every passing second. It was difficult to breathe; the air rasped against his throat like nails. Before his eyes shut under the weight of unconsciousness, Takuma saw a pair of strange, tall forms stop before his eyes. He struggled futilely to focus. Boots?

Darkness. He was losing the battle. Already, his eyes had surrendered, and he knew his mind was next. Was he going to die here, like this? His lungs scraped against his ribs, desperate for air. He couldn't die now, not after his betrayal. He had to prove his loyalty and his friendship again to Kaname. Had to...

It seemed as if he was floating. The ground had become insubstantial. In the inky fog into which he had plunged, he heard a voice, light as a feather. The pitch of that voice brushed against his memory with familiarity, but his thoughts were too stunted to place it. He clung to that voice, because it kept him rooted in reality. As long as he could hear it, he knew that his heart still beat.

"I hurried to come here," the voice told him. "It turns out my timing was good, after all. If I hadn't stopped you, you were going to be seen arriving at The Citadel and all my plans would have come to nothing."

A pause. Air shifted over his face, and he knew the person before him had moved. The voice seemed closer now. "How lucky," it said in a tone of satisfaction. It was gentle, yet somehow sinister, this voice. "I was planning to do some coaxing and make Kaname _give_ you to me, but I prefer this much, much more..."

A laugh. Like bells. Those bells fractured through his ears. Even this voice was fading away, into nothing, into blackness. Slight pressure against his face, shifting his hair, caressing his cheek. Fingers? They, too, became ghosts, and the sensation of floating increased. He did not want to die like this. It couldn't be his time, not yet, not here, not now...

"I'm so happy," the voice said, and then drained from his ears entirely into a static buzz that permeated his awareness.

He was drifting into nothing. He could no longer feel his body. Was he breathing? Was he... Even that thought dispersed before it had formed, and then there was only silence.

* * *

 **A/N:** DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN...!


	31. 31 Yori

**A/N:** Yori's first narration!

* * *

 **YORI**

"It will not be so easy to reclaim the throne, Princess," Lord Hakuba advised Yuki.

Yori glanced at her friend. Over the course of the past hour, Yuki had not backed down on her resolve. The Wakaba could tell that her friend was both serious and determined from the hard glint in her eye. Princess Yuki, her knights, Lord Hakuba, and a few of his most trusted men had gathered to discuss their course of action, and Yori was both glad and worried for the path her friend had chosen to take.

"I'm prepared to do whatever it takes," Yuki told him adamantly.

"The Wakabas, as I'm sure you're already aware, will of course support you. However, I fear that this will not be sufficient to take the throne from your cousin," Lord Wakaba warned.

"The Aidous will support her, as well," Hanabusa pledged.

Yori regarded the blond knight bitterly. With nearly everyone else, he seemed capable of normal interaction. A noble lord and a knight to his core. However, whenever he spoke to _her_... She could feel her eyes rolling and her mouth pushing down into a frown automatically and quickly averted her attention back to the princess. The Aidou lord was exasperating.

After a few seconds, however, her eyes drifted over to the person seated to Yuki's right at the long wood table: the somber, mysterious Zero Kiryuu. Zero was entirely different from his irritating, blond companion. The silver-haired knight was calm and reserved, exactly as a Bloodguard should be. Now that she had met him in person, Yori had to admit the knight was handsome...and completely devoted to Yuki. The love the princess and her knight shared but would not admit to was almost as painful and frustrating as Hanabusa's attempts at flirtation.

"I believe my uncle, Lord Rido, might offer us some aid as well," Yuki was saying.

"Indeed." One of the minor nobles who Hakuba had brought to the meeting stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "His lands our south of here. It would be easy to pass through and ask his assistance before moving on to the Indigo Mountains."

"Lord Rido is notoriously ill-tempered," a second lord contradicted. "He only cares for women and money. How many wives has he had now? Seven?"

"I have to try," Yuki told him. "He and Kaname have never gotten along, and he is still family. If he would pledge some men to our cause, our numbers would be greatly increased."

"There are also the Kains to consider," Hanabusa offered. "Kan and Akatsuki are my cousins. I believe they can be persuaded to join us, as well."

"If luck runs in our favor, we could have a force to reckon with, after all," Lord Hakuba mused. He seemed satisfied by this, and continued, "Of course, an attack against the capital must be well-timed and kept secret-"

From somewhere outside, a horn blew. The meeting paused, listening curiously. And then the horn blew again, and again. Yori saw her father pale as several of the guard burst into the room.

"My Lord, we are under attack," came the sudden announcement.

"What?!" Lord Hakuba demanded, rising to his feet. Everyone else at the table did the same. "Who is it?"

"We aren't sure, My Lord," the foremost of the guard answered. "They killed our patrols, dressed in our clothes, and used our signal to gain access to the city. They killed the men who sentry the southern ladder. Now more men are amassing beneath us...many more." He cleared his throat, then, "They have ballistae, My Lord."

"Yori, find your stepmother and escort her, your brothers and sister, the princess and her knights to the tunnel and stay with them there. In a worst case scenario, they must be ready to escape."

"My Lord," the guard interrupted. "The Lady Jiyuna and your children are across town visiting Lady Anzu."

"Then I suggest you find her. Very well. Yori, take Princess Yuki and the knights."

"This way." Yori snapped to attention immediately, motioning them to follow her.

"Who would attack The Vale?" Yuki asked.

Yori shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"Take us back to our quarters first," Hanabusa said. "We can gather our weapons and, more importantly, Yuki will not be able to run dressed in a gown and heels."

Yori stopped, gaze sweeping over her friend and reaching the same conclusion. "Very well. Do you know where her quarters are?" The blond lord nodded. "Then meet us there as quickly as possible."

The knights quickly turned down the neighboring hall, and Yori took Yuki back to her rooms. The manor had broken out into chaos. People rushed around them, shouting orders to one another. As they passed a window, Yori could see that outside the air was becoming smoky and grey. She was not terribly worried about the town burning, as there were so many precautions and systems in place to prevent that, but the smoke was troubling.

Once in Yuki's room, Yori helped the girl into her recently washed riding outfit, her boots, and her cloak.

"What if they're here because of me?" Yuki murmured, eyes wide.

"What if they are?" Yori looked at her friend grimly. "We will defend you. You're safe here. The Vale has always been a peaceful haven..."

"But if this is my fault," her friend protested, "if it's-!"

"It's not," Yori interjected. "Even if they came from Ashgate because of you, it would be Kaname's fault. He would be to blame. "

The petite brunette girl didn't seem convinced, but Yori didn't have time to reassure her, as the two knights had returned, now garbed in their own cloaks with their swords belted to their waists securely.

Yori took them out of the room and down one of the halls, explaining, "The tunnel runs down inside the tree this manor is built around, and then underground a distance. It will place you yards east of the town, and from there you can make your way north to Jacinthe, circle around towards Celadine, or head south to the Touma border."

As they walked, the shouting escalated around them. It seemed the enemy could not be merely shot down with bow and arrow from afar, as many of them carried shields, and now the ballistae were firing burning arrows up into the town. Yori pressed her lips together, eyebrows pushing together. It seemed their opponent knew them well.

She showed them into a small room which housed a false wall panel that would slide open to reveal the entrance to the hidden tunnel. By now, the smoke had made its way into the manor. The smell cloyed at her lungs, like charcoal with an undertone of sourness. She coughed into her sleeve. She knew this herb. It was called mil amores, and when mixed with absinthe leaves and made into a thick paste it could be burned to create this smoke, a smoke that would cling to the town and fill the lungs until it was impossible to breathe. Who was this enemy and how had they obtained this herb? As a kingdom that specialized in medicine, Virid Wood was one of the few places where it naturally grew, and cultivation of it beyond the Wood had been prohibited...

"You should leave quickly," Yori declared. "You can't breathe in this smoke. If you're exposed to it too long, it will fill your lungs and you will suffocate. It's better if you wait at the other end of the tunnel. Stay inside it, out of sight, until someone comes to get you."

"You're not coming with us?" Yuki gripped at her friend's arm.

"I'll join you later if the situation becomes dire," Yori assuaged her with a tight smile. She had no intention of leaving her people. She must stay and defend them. Only when this unknown enemy had been defeated would she meet them at the other end of the tunnel.

"Be safe," the princess pleaded, throwing her arms around the Wakaba girl.

Yori hugged her tightly for a minute before releasing her and sliding open the panel. "Go now. And Yuki... Be careful."

Yuki bit her lip, but followed Zero into the mouth of the tunnel. Yori was sure that her friend would be safe with her knights. The same could not necessarily be said for the town. She held back a second cough from the smoke.

"Don't die," Hanabusa warned her. "I'd hate to have to deal with Yuki's tears for the next few months if you did." He didn't wait for a response, ducking into the tunnel after the princess, and Yori slid the panel back into place, shaking her head.

Without wasting a moment, the young woman exited the chamber and hurried to the armory, where she grabbed a bow, quiver, and a pair of knives, which she belted around her waist. She should not be defenseless. Then, she rushed back to the grand foyer of the manor, where she was sure her father would be giving orders.

Sure enough, the Wakaba Lord was issuing commands in rapid-fire. The men around him began to disperse as Yori approached and asked, "What's happening?"

"We have to evacuate the town," Lord Hakuba replied gravely. "The townsfolk can't stay here with the smoke. There are at least five hundred men below. We've had to send men down to meet them. We have to find a way to destroy the ballistae. They're firing smoking bundles and there are also archers shooting burning arrows. ...We can't keep the fires out because of the smoke."

Yori was stunned for a moment, rooted in place by the weight of these words. The Vale was supposed to be indefensible, impenetrable. And yet... How had such a large force of men with machines such as the ballistae made it undetected into the forest? How had the enemy even found them here? The town was well-hidden in the Wood. Only the Wakabas themselves knew the location of the town. And, of course...the royal council...

Suddenly her throat had gone dry.

"Come with me" her father instructed her, covering his mouth to cough. "We must help the guard to defend our people while they flee to safety."

Yori nodded, following him and their personal guard as he quickly exited the manor and made his way to the northeastern edge of the town, where a ladder had been lowered into a thick cluster of wide trees surrounded by heavy brush to mask the townsfolk from view as they climbed down to what was presumably safety. With the conflict elsewhere and the fog of smoke and flames, it seemed that they would remain undetected by the enemy soldiers as long as they remained under the natural cover the Wood provided below. Nevertheless, she found her fingers tightening around her bow and moving to check the pair of daggers at her side as a precaution.

"My Lord, My Lady," one of the guard captains who was directing the townspeople called to them, gesturing them over. They approached, and the captain advised them, "You two should go with them. It would be best if you blended into the crowd and did not draw attention." He turned to Lord Hakuba, "The Lady Jiyuna and the rest of your children have joined the people below. Shortly myself and the other guards will escort them to Celadine."

Her father made a noise of agreement. "A sound decision. But I cannot leave. I must defend this town and my people."

The captain shook his head. "My Lord, forgive me, but you have not fought for many years, and they both outnumber us and are better equipped. We cannot afford to lose our Lord here." A coughing fit interrupted his words, and he bent over, shoulders shaking, before he at last was able to breathe again. "Please, go quickly. Our men cannot hold them off forever."

"Yori, come," the Wakaba lord commanded, moving to the ladder.

"Good luck, My Lord," the guard bid them as the young woman began the descent after her father.

On the ground below them, Yori could see more clearly how the heavy shrubbery and brambles shielded this area from being easily visible. A few hundred feet away, a mass of men were entangled in combat, although at this distance, it was impossible to tell the Wakaba men from the enemies. All of them were clad in the green and brown colors of the Wakaba house. The only exception were the small pockets of men, protected by rings of their comrades, who used the ballistae to fire flaming arrows and bundles of the substance that had created the thick, noxious fog above in the town. These she knew with certainty were the enemy.

Once they had reached the ground, Yori saw that many of the townsfolk were hidden here, most likely waiting for the guards above to join them and escort them to Celadine. Yori spotted her stepmother, the Lady Jiyuna, towards the back of the crowd, although her back was turned to them. Instead of joining them, however, her father readied his bow.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "We need to protect these people."

"I am, Yori. I must join the fight and motivate our men. As their leader, I must be an example of bravery."

"Then I'm going with you," she murmured fiercely, despite the tremor of her heart. She was afraid. Terribly, horribly afraid.

"No. Stay here and protect our people. You are the heir. They will follow you."

She shook her head. "I belong-"

"Here," he repeated. "That's an order." He turned to the members of their guard. "Men, you're with me." Without a further glance back, he slunk off through the brush, his intention clearly to circle around and join the combat. Several guards were close behind him.

Glancing upwards, Yori thought she recognized the soft brown leather of the boots that the guard wore. They would be down momentarily and able to guide the people to Celadine. With a snap decision, she trailed after her father's party, her nerves humming anxiously. She hoped that Yuki and the knights had reached safety already. After all, it was possible that she might never see them again.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Yori saw that she had been correct in her prediction of her father's movements. He circled wide to the west, coming around, she was sure, to position himself in order to shoot at some of the men who manned the ballistae. If it had not been for the smoke, Yori was sure the situation would have never come to this. The Vale was highly defensible. Now, however, it was impossible to remain there. She could still feel her lungs burning from breathing too much of the smoke in.

Ahead of her, her father stopped not far from the fight, holding up his hand for a halt. A few yards behind him, Yori paused as well, waiting. The young woman could hear the drum of her pulse in her ears, her entire body tense. Her father then gestured for the guard to nock their arrows. Yori did the same, although she kept her gaze on Lord Hakuba. While he protected the town, she would protect him. She would not let him stand alone. He was the only full blood-relative that she had, and more than that, he was her father.

At her father's signal, the party released their arrows a moment later, which found their purchase in several of the enemies that ringed the small ballista. From this close, Yori could see that the construction was truly ingenious. The ballista had been designed to be small and compact and to shoot upwards in a relatively straight trajectory that would be unimpeded by the trees. Instead, the shots would find purchase in the town itself. Once again, the thought struck her that the machines and tactics the enemy used had been designed specifically for this assault, and she frowned to herself. How long had this attack been planned?

Yori did not have long to ponder this, however, as nine or ten enemy men had detached themselves from the ring protecting the ballista and were charging at her father and the guard. Several of them had shields, which they used to deflect incoming arrows. The girl, afraid to give away her position, was unable to do more than wait. She swallowed against a dry throat, and was relieved to see a few more of the opponents felled by arrows.

When the enemy reached her father and his men, however, and the fight became one of the sword, Yori realized she could not get a clean shot. The fighting was chaotic, a whirlpool of limbs and steel in constant motion. Her eyes darted from one man to the next, but it was impossible to find an opportunity to shoot without the possibility of wounding one of her own men. Worse, it became increasingly difficult to tell which were members of the Wakaba guard and which were not, as all of them were dressed in similar shades of brown and green.

Panicking, she was forced to watch as they remained locked in combat. Blood had spattered onto the nearest tree, but she was unsure whose it might be. Several inert forms now lay on the ground, but the only distinguishable figure amidst the madness was her father, who was fighting off what seemed like two attackers. She could tell that he was struggling to keep up. His sword arm was slowing, and his counters were barely deflecting their blows.

Yori raised the bow, taking deep, calming breaths and staring at her target. With so many fallen men, she might have a clean shot. She tried to tell herself that this was no different than hunting. Except this time, the stakes were far higher.

One of the assailants slashed open Lord Hakuba's arm. She exhaled, taking careful aim. He faltered, stumbling back. She released the string, letting the arrow fly. A second later, it had lodged itself in the back of one of the attackers, who was immediately cut down by the Wakaba lord. Yori hastily grabbed a second arrow from her quiver, aiming this time for the other man.

Her father was bleeding profusely from his left arm, and this slowed him down substantially. His opponent feinted and struck, blade slicing through his sword arm this time. He dropped the blade, and Yori loosed her second arrow, which found itself buried in the side of the assailant's head. Numb with adrenaline and fear, she wasn't able to feel sick as he dropped in a bloody heap. Instead, she immediately began choosing her next target.

Belatedly, Yori realized the fight had ceased. Her father and one of their guard remained standing, wounded but alive. From across the forest, Lord Hakuba met her eyes and gave her a tight, grim smile. In the next moment, however, an arrow blurred by, striking the guard in the abdomen. He staggered backwards as a second arrow embedded itself in the Wakaba lord's thigh. Her father dropped to his knees heavily.

Yori's eyes widened, her lips clamping down over her mouth so as not to cry out. Adrenaline raced through her veins, and her fingers went dead as she drew another arrow. A pair of men she hadn't noticed were now upon the two. Before she could pull back the string, the guard parried feebly and was impaled on his opponent's blade. At the same time, she saw her father scramble backwards to find his sword. The man before him raised his arm, cold steel poised, and swung. Yori could hear the sound as the metal crunched into bone, lodging itself in her father's neck. The edge was not sharp enough to cut all the way through. It remained there, in his corpse, as red liquid fountained around it. Automatically, she drew back the string and fired, killing one of the men.

The world had gone black and white, static. The second enemy picked up the shield of one of his fallen comrades and, when she attempted to shoot at him, easily blocked her attack. The buzz of terror was rising up, deafening in her ears. The man approached, and she shot again, this time aiming at his legs. Her arrow struck his left leg, but he continued forward with only the slightest limp. Yori backed up, hoping to gain time to fire again. It would not be long before he closed the distance between them.

Hands shaking in fear, she missed the third shot. He was almost upon her now. She tossed the bow to the ground and drew one of her daggers, nearly tripping over a root as she tried to retreat. He was there, drawing his sword, the shield cast aside. Nearly paralyzed with horror, Yori wasn't aware of her arm moving on its own. All that she knew was that suddenly her dagger was in his chest. And then the next, as well.

The ground rushed up to meet her. A few feet away, she could hear the man wheezing out his last breaths. Dead leaves crunched under her fingers, and dizzily she realized she had fallen. In a haze, she turned broken eyes back to the carnage. Unfeeling and overcome with numbness, she could not bring the mess of flesh, steel, and crimson into focus.

Miraculously, she had not been seen by any more of the attackers. She restricted her thoughts to returning to protect the rest of her people. If she thought about anything else, if she allowed her mind to return for one instant to what had transpired, she knew she would be incapacitated. Above the battlefield, the town was burning in earnest now, and charred bits of wood had begun raining down. It was without doubt now that The Vale had been destroyed.

A scream snapped her back to her surroundings. The fight was still raging on, and she was alone and nearly defenseless in the middle of it. She moved up into a crouch and grabbed her bow, intending to replace her lost knives with one from the man that she had killed. As she did so, she caught sight of a black shape standing over where the bodies of her father and his guards were. Glancing up, she saw a robed figure, cowl drawn over its face. In its hands were two long, curved throwing knives.

It was only by sheer luck that she managed to avoid the first of those blades. Leaping aside, she felt the air against her shoulder where the blade whistled past to bury itself in the wood of one of the trees behind her. For a second, she hesitated, caught between warring instincts that told her to run and to fight. Sensing the danger that this figure presented, however, she felt her feet moving automatically, propelling her into the forest.

The trees rushed past, a blur of brown and green, like the colors of the Wakaba house. Those colors had now been smeared in blood. Whoever pursued her, she knew that they would not rest until her blood had joined her father's. Even as this jumbled thought flashed through her mind, a second knife flew past. Without thinking, she reached back with one hand and drew an arrow from the quiver, unsure how she would use it.

There was no warning. One minute she was running, and the next a burst of hot agony pierced through her flesh. Her right arm was on fire, drenched in burning liquid that she knew was her blood. The blow took her by surprise; she lost her balance and tripped on an upturned root, hitting the ground hard as she could not afford to lose her grip on the bow. For a few terrifyingly long seconds, she was immobilized. She could not die here, not now. She would not be taken down so easily.

"Yori!" she heard someone cry, though through the rush of her blood and adrenaline she was unable to recognize the voice.

Gritting her teeth and ignoring the pain that shot through her arm, she rolled over, scrambling to her feet. There was no time draw her bow. The robed figure was drawing closer, nearly upon her now. It seemed whoever her attacker was did not have any more of the throwing knives; instead, a longer, curved blade had appeared in its hand, glinting wickedly in the lowlight of the forest. Yori's arm was screaming in pain, but she managed to draw her newly acquired and final dagger. She had one opportunity. Only one. If she missed this, she would almost undoubtedly perish.

Her attacker had reached her, lunging forward with the sword. Yori leapt out of the way, sharply twisting her body to narrowly avoid the blade, which missed her narrowly by inches. Her body was moving fluidly, as if it were not her own. Her knee met the assailant's abdomen as she swung her arm around, plunging the knife into the shadowed depths of the hood. She heard a screech, and the hood of the robe fell back, revealing a tall, slender woman with short silver hair. The woman had attempted to dodge the knife, to no avail. Half the blade was lodged into the socket. Blood poured down the woman's face, a dark fountain mixed with fragments of flesh that had once had been an eye. The curved sword fell from the woman's hand as she clutched at the ruins of her face.

Yori's legs were shaking slightly, but she knew she had no time to waste. She backed up still clutching her bow in her left hand, first five paces, then ten, then twenty, but the woman made no effort to pursue her. The girl prepared to flee. The longer she stayed, the higher the chances were that the silver-haired woman would recover and attack her again.

Abruptly, Yori felt something clamp around her arm. She whirled, preparing to fight with tooth and nail if necessary, to see Hanabusa Aidou. The knight did not waste time. His fingers locked around her wrist and pulled her after him without a word, forcing her pace to increase until they were running.

"Wai-" she started to say.

"Yuki is safe," he cut her off. "I saw the town burning and came back to find you. That woman is Kaname Kuran's Bloodguard, Seiren."

"No, my people! I have to protect them. Are they safe?"

All those innocents might still be waiting. What if they hadn't left yet? What if the enemy found them? She, Sayori Wakaba, heir to the Virid Wood, should be protecting her people to her last breath. She valued all of her people. Each and every one of them. To protect them, she had already decided to fight until the end. Just one of their lives was worth far more than her own.

"I don't know," the blond admitted.

"I have to go back." She fought to slow down, but his grip on her wrist remained an iron fetter. "I won't leave them!"

"You can't go back. If you go you will die finding out. Your people cannot afford to lose you." A pause, then, "You have done all you can and now you must trust that they made it to safety."

Somewhere deep within her, buried under all of the blood and the sorrow, she knew that he was right. She had been taught since she was little that her survival mattered, because one day it would fall to her to lead her people. But how could she accept that?

Regardless, she was forced to accept it. There was no choice. He was dragging her after him, further into the forest, away from the ruins of the once-beautiful town and the carnage of the battlefield. She was torn between the conflicting desires. She wanted to go back, to see with her own eyes that her people had escaped. And at the same time she knew that to go back was a death sentence.

Her mind turned back to her father, to the town, to the men that she had killed herself, with her own hands. She had never killed anyone before... never picked up her bow with the intention to take another human being's life. And yet... But they had killed her father. They had destroyed her home. Embers and blood rained across her heart. She could see his life spurting out of him again, and she was still just as helpless to stop it.

The numbness was climbing back through her limbs, clogging her fingers, her toes. She stumbled after Hanabusa unseeing, her grip somehow still ironclad around her bow. She did not cry. She didn't make a sound. There were no tears inside of her. She did not even feel pain, or grief. She just felt nothing. It was as if the blade that drove into her father's flesh had simultaneously drove itself into her heart and carved it out of her chest.

She barely registered when Yuki's arms wrapped around her. The world was grey and fuzzy at the edges, and something churned heavily in her stomach. The images that flocked through her mind were swimming in blood. The blood of her father, of the guard. The blood of so many men and the bloody wreckage of an eye...all beneath an ashen, charred sky of burning wood...

She was barely able to shove Yuki away before she doubled over and vomited the contents of her stomach.

* * *

 **A/N:** Review?


	32. 32 Maria

**MARIA**

Maria folded the pale blue napkin in her lap once, then again. The shade of the fabric contrasted nicely with her simple, white gown trimmed with silver. A tiny lake of blue water that had melted through ice. That was how she felt now. Her heart was still vulnerable, even as the rest of her appeared frozen. Somehow, she could not accept the events, even as time progressed and brought her closer to their conclusion. Even now, in Ashgate and sharing an early supper with the would-be king, she refused to accept them.

She furtively watched her cousin and the Lord Kaname through lowered lashes. They fired pleasantries back and forth as one might play tennis, except that this was a complicated and potentially dangerous game. Kaname was not how she had pictured him; but then, neither was Ashgate. The city had always been described as clean and busy, but she had seen the moment their carriage had passed through the gates that it had become a festering sore of civil unrest. The people were discontent, the streets were dirty, and Kaname remained unmoved, as though none of this were passing. The citizens had protested their arrival loudly, demanding the return of their princess. It didn't matter that the Hios had taken no part in that affair, the people were angry and their questions had been left largely unanswered. Especially now that Kaname had declared Princess Yuki dead and the Wakaba capital destroyed.

"Forgive me, My Lord," Maria interrupted, finally daring to raise her eyes and meet his. "I'm afraid I wasn't the most attentive to the explanation... Perhaps you would be so kind as to explain to me why it was necessary to destroy The Vale?"

Mahogany clashed with lavender. Out of the corner of her eye, Maria saw Shizuka frown at her, but the Hio girl remained steadfast. She feigned meekness, smiling innocently at the Kuran lord, whose expression revealed not even the smallest trace of his inner thoughts.

"Of course, My Lady," he replied smoothly. "The Wakabas were harboring the princess and her knights. When I sent my men to fetch her, they were attacked. It was an assault on the throne and the Kuran house, and it had to be answered in kind."

"Then, what of her knights?" Maria asked, pitching her voice with anxiety.

"I cannot say. We only just received word by a messenger pigeon of the result of the battle. Most likely...I fear they have perished, as well."

"Then, the Lord Hanabusa Aidou?" Maria strove to hid her curiosity. It had not slipped her notice that Lord Nagamichi was in Ashgate. This could spell war.

At this, the lord did show a trace of emotion, his eyebrows drawing together momentarily. The matter must have weighed on him, as well. "I hope that he is alive," was all the lord said.

"Let's not spoil our supper with this kind of talk," Shizuka intervened, casting a veiled look at Maria. "My Lord, please, tell us you have some good news despite these ill tidings?"

Kaname smiled, swallowing a mouthful of roasted quail. "Indeed, I do. In fact, I received some good news just today. That would be the arrival of both of you lovely ladies. You grace the palace with your presence."

"My Lord, you exaggerate," Shizuka deflected his compliment demurely.

"Not at all. I have long awaited your company. Ever since you sent word that you were coming to the capital, I have greatly looked forward to it. It is not often that such excellent company pays me a visit."

Maria sighed internally, turned her gaze back to the napkin in her lap. Her eyes traced the silver embroidery of her gown, which seemed to flow from the napkin to the floor, spilling outward and down. Silver... Reflexively, her mind turned to Ichiru. She wondered where he was now, if he had settled into his chambers by now. Thinking of him was a bittersweet action. She still loved him, had always loved him, and yet every passing day took him further away from her and closer to her cousin. The day she would have to watch him say his wedding vows to her cousin loomed ever nearer.

Maria knew that she was weak. She depended too heavily on Shizuka and Ichiru because she did not have the strength to face the world on her own. Her body periodically gave way to bouts of illness which kept her bedridden and the slightest physically hardship took a heavy toll on her. She could not resist the marriage, therefore, just as she could not resist anything else. In an alternate world, Ichiru would have fought against this marriage alongside her, would have supported her, just as he had her whole life. Momentarily, she allowed her thoughts to slip away, the contours of her plate melding into the familiar scenery of her home, Sakura Hall.

 _Maria trembled with effort, focusing all of her energy into the spell. She could feel her blood sparking in response; feel the magical energy coursing through her. The sensation was intense and her knees shook as they struggled to keep her standing. Before her, the air was shimmering as it began to morph into the image Maria held in her mind. It was a simple illusion, one Shizuka could easily have accomplished. However, for the sickly twelve year old Hio, such an insignificant spell seemed an insurmountable feat._

 _The shaking increased tenfold. Maria felt hot. Sweat dripped down her brow, though she made no move to wipe it away. The air began to transform, began to take on colors and angles. And then, abruptly, the image shattered and Maria collapsed. Before she hit the ground, a pair of arms encircled her and lifted her up into the air._

 _"You always overdo it," a voice scolded._

 _Dazed, Maria looked up to see Ichiru, who was carrying her to the gazebo across the courtyard. He might have had a weak constitution, but he had always been far stronger than her. Certainly, he could at least carry her a short distance. Then again, she didn't weigh much, either._

 _"I almost had it," she told him. "I could see it."_

 _"Barely," the boy replied. His words stung with truth._

 _"I just need more practice…" she mumbled as he placed her down on one of the benches that ringed the gazebo._

 _"How much more practice do you need? It shouldn't be so difficult." Showing off now, he summoned the illusion of soft pink flowers twining around and blooming over the support beams of the gazebo._

 _"I can do that too," Maria protested, opening her hand to allow a gust of illusionary snow to blow over the boy's arm. The additional energy she expended made her cough, frame shaking as she felt a wave of dizziness overwhelm her. If she was like Shizuka, she would have been able to replicate the feeling of cold as well. But she was not like Shizuka and she could not complete even the easiest spells._

 _"Stop, you're hurting yourself," Ichiru chided again. The blooms withered and fell off the gazebo and the snow she had created faded into nothing._

 _The Hio girl pouted. It wasn't fair that Ichiru and Shizuka both were so much better than her, even if both were older and her cousin at least was more experienced. Maria just did not have the same knack for learning magic that they did._

 _"I always have to keep an eye on you," the boy muttered, leaning back and folding his arms._

 _Maria knew he was bothered, but she didn't mind the idea of him looking out for her. After a moment he sighed and shook his head, the bell that held up his short bun of silver hair tinkling._

 _"You'll get it," he assured her then and she beamed at his vote of confidence. "I guess I'll just have to keep looking out for you until you do."_

 _Those words seeped into her skin with warmth despite the chill of the air. Even if all he felt for her was pity, even if on the surface he seemed irritated with her, he was always the one to encourage her to keep moving forward. He was always the one who caught her when she fell, always the one to lift her up when she felt beaten down. It was in that instant that, deep in her chest, past the friendship and the admiration, the stirrings of romantic love began._

The brush of a servant's sleeve as they poured her more tea brought Maria back to the present. Her cousin and Kaname were still talking. From his words, the girl gathered that she had not been daydreaming long. A moment, perhaps, but no more. If it were up to her, she would have preferred to remain in her memories forever. They were so much sweeter than acrid reality…

"Actually," Kaname was saying to Shizuka, "your timing could not be better. You are correct to say that friendship between our houses could make a strong alliance. I was thinking much the same, myself... After all, My Lady, you still have not taken a husband, and as it is, the Council has announced that I will be crowned the king shortly after the period of mourning for the princess has ended."

Maria's eyes widened. Was Kaname proposing to Shizuka? Her heart leapt in her chest with sudden hopefulness. Perhaps this match would be better than the one her cousin intended to make with Ichiru. Perhaps there was hope after all. Her fingers clenched in her lap around the cloth napkin.

"My Lord, I am dreadfully sorry," Shizuka answered. Maria's heart sank. "I came here, in part, to announce my marriage..."

"To who?" The Kuran lord inquired with the arch of an eyebrow. As if to say, who could be a better husband than the king of the Nine Kingdoms?

 _To whom_ , Maria corrected him mentally, thinking back to the conversation with her cousin during which Shizuka had announced her intention to wed Ichiru. Now, that conversation seemed ages ago, far in the past.

Shizuka allowed his grammatical error to pass, however. "That is another part of why I came. I brought him with me, to introduce you to him. Lord Ichiru Kiryuu." Her cousin was watching Kaname like a hawk to gauge his reaction. Maria, on the other hand, was more surprised that Ichiru had been elevated to lord status in this conversation. But then, she supposed he would have to be if he was going to marry the Lady Hio.

"I see," Kaname murmured, his eyes growing dark.

"However, although I myself am promised to someone, my cousin Maria is not... As you know, she is the heir to my house and the kingdom."

The napkin had become a crumpled ball in her lap, squeezed tight by her hand. Shizuka was trying to marry _her_ to Kaname now? Her eyes shot to the lord across the table. Certainly, he was handsome and powerful, two things any noble lady would have wanted in a husband. Moreover, he would be king. However...she shook her head mentally, fighting against the urge to immediately decline such a proposal. Whatever positive qualities he might possess, Maria did not want to marry him, or anyone else. It was foolish, but she only wanted Ichiru. And if not him, no one.

"My Lady, you think to outwit me." Kaname laughed softly. "Will Maria still be heir to her house after you and your new husband have your first child?"

Shizuka smiled. "Who can say?" she responded cryptically.

"I'm afraid I must decline. My apologies, Lady Maria. I hope you take no offense. I must think of the Council and the other noble houses now when I consider my match, and they all expect me to wed an heir."

Maria almost sighed audibly with relief. "No offense taken," she answered gracefully, returning to her meal with more zest.

"My Lord, although I cannot give you my hand, you should know that the Hios support you fully," Shizuka reassured the Kuran lord.

"I have never doubted your support." Kaname paused, then said, "I do hope you'll remain here for a while."

"We will," her cousin promised.

"Excellent." Kaname did seem pleased with this news, although once again Maria could not discern his thoughts.

Concentrating on her plate, Maria once again drifted off into the space of her own thoughts. Shizuka had never brought up a potential marriage for the girl before. It should have come as no surprise, really. Maria would be seventeen before long, and she should have expected such discussions to have already arisen. She had been lucky to put off such a topic for this long, but now that they were in Ashgate she feared her cousin would begin searching more actively for a match. She stopped chewing for a moment, disheartened. How long could she realistically keep such a thing at bay?

The Hio girl placed her fork back down on the plate, feeling her appetite slip away. Eventually, she would no longer be able to wait for Ichiru. Instead, she would be wed to a man she scarcely knew, perhaps living hundreds of miles away from him. Such a thought squeezed at her heart with the grip of a vice. The day that she could no longer speak to the man she loved, or even see him, would be the day her smile died and her laughter was suffocated.

Sometimes, in the sanctuary of sleep, Maria dreamed that she was an owl. With her wings spread wide, she could take flight and leave all of her troubles behind. The landscape would spread beneath her and she would realize in that moment that she was free. All that she wanted was the freedom to protect the man she loved and remain by his side. And yet she knew one day Shizuka would seal a marriage contract and such dreams would be stripped entirely from her.

Lavender eyes rose upward to regard the Lady Shizuka. Was there really no way out, then? The thought fell heavily, rippling outward and casting the world in shades of grey.

No... She clung helplessly to her desperate hope. There had to be. She just had to find it.

* * *

 **AN:** Welp, it's official. Kaname is/will be king. A fitting song IMO is Hail to the King (Avenged Sevenfold) teehee. Annnnnd, you should check out my new fic-inspired viddy on YT ;) by adding watch?v=NRKhUpDx8Fk after the main YT link or searching for me as earthlyxangelx2 on YT. Also! Be sure to check out Battleflyx3 on Deviantart for some great fanart of Sayori and Rima from this fic!

Now that Nagamichi, Shizuka, and Maria are all in the capital and Kaname is king, what do you think will happen? More importantly...what will happen to our heroes, especially now that The Vale is destroyed? Who do you think will sit on the throne in the end?


	33. 33 Yuki

**YUKI**

Yuki breathed in the cool air of the cave that she, Yori, and the knights had taken shelter in and felt her body relax a little. They had been running ever since the attack on Yori's home only two days ago, and finally they were able to stop long enough to truly rest. Yuki's feet were stiff and sore, and she was hungrier than she had ever been. Zero and Hanabusa had found this cave not long ago, a discovery that had come none too soon. All four of them were overdue for some much needed sleep.

While the knights were out checking to make sure the area was safe, Yuki and Yori waited in the cave, out of sight of any wandering eyes, even though they had not seen a soul. Yori had tried to insist that she could scout, too, but the wound on her arm prevented her from being as effective with her bow, and thus she had been overruled. For now, she was sitting against the cave wall, head buried in her arms. Yuki knew that the girl must be crying. She had held herself together while they had fled deeper into the Wood, but now that they had stopped she had been unable to keep herself from breaking down.

Quietly, Yuki moved across the cave and seated herself beside her friend. She didn't say anything, simply giving Yori some space. She hoped that her presence could comfort the Wakaba girl, although she knew that nothing would ease her pain. It was too new, too fresh. Sitting this close, Yuki could hear Yori's sniffles, which she tried to muffle against her arms. No one would blame her for her tears, but Yuki knew Yori wanted to stay strong. She had always been that way, ever since they were little.

Yuki leaned over, wrapping her arms around her friend. Yori sniffled, returning the embrace and hiding her face. The princess felt her heart breaking. She knew what it was like to lose a father. But to have her home destroyed as well... Her arms tightened their grip and she shifted closer. She wasn't sure she had the words to comfort her friend. Her own throat was locked tight, sealed off with the weight of emotions she wasn't ready to face. Guilt, sorrow, she knew they would consume her later, but first she needed to bravely fight them off for the other girl's sake.

"I failed them," Yori whispered, crying quietly although her whole body shook with the force of her tears.

"You didn't." Yuki shook her head. She, too, had blamed herself for her adopted father's death. She should have noticed, she should have seen the signs of the stress he was under. She still bore that guilt, although now it was beginning to ease, replaced with the iron determination to take back her and her father's home. Perhaps then she would be able to forgive herself.

"I went to save them, I failed. Because of me my father is..." The words were lost, choked by tears.

"You didn't fail him. Or your people. Every one of them is alive because of you and other brave people. I don't think that fact's lost on them."

"But my father." Yori wept, clinging to her friend like a lifeline. "I couldn't save him..."

Yuki gave the other girl a squeeze. "No, there was nothing you could have done. I understand how you feel. When... When my father died I thought the same. But... Your father died honorably, fighting to protect his people and his family. I'm sure his spirit is at peace..."

"I didn't get to say goodbye."

 _Neither did I..._ The thought echoed painfully, rippling outward and stinging at the back of her eyes. Why was fate so cruel that they both should lose their fathers like this... And once again it was her fault. Kaname had attacked because of her. Had hurt Zero, had targeted Hanabusa... Everything that had happened...because of her... She shut down the flow of her thoughts abruptly. If she continued thinking like this, how would she be able to comfort Yori?

"Saying farewell is perhaps the most difficult part..." Yuki smiled bitterly to herself. She knew that despite her words she could not begin to soothe her friend. Only time could mend these wounds. So she said, "My adopted father said this about my parents: grief never ends...but it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness...it is the price of love."

If only those words could comfort her as well… Yuki still felt as though she hadn't had enough time to grieve. But… What time could she have? She needed to stay strong. And even though it was a bitter pill to swallow, she knew that grieving would not change what had happened, nor would it win back the throne.

A twig snapping outside the cave mouth alerted the girls to the return of the knights. Yori sat up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffling in an attempt to mask that she had been crying. It was a poor attempt, her eyes red and drawn, but Yuki helped her dry her face and smiled reassuringly. Neither Zero nor Hanabusa would say a word about it, the princess was sure.

"Is it safe?" Yuki asked as soon as Zero's form blocked out the entrance to the cave. She suppressed a smile. Zero was nearly too tall and too broad-shouldered to even enter the cave. The ceiling was only a few inches above the top of his head at its highest.

She thought he nodded, though she couldn't see very well. He seemed to realize this, because he then answered, "Yes."

"It doesn't seem like anyone followed us," the blond lord elaborated as he stepped inside after the silver-haired knight.

"That's good," she replied, hand still on Yori's arm. If only she knew some way to ease her friend's heartache...

"And now we need to take a better look at your arm," Hanabusa addressed Yori now.

"It's fine," the girl mumbled.

Yuki's brow furrowed doubtfully. They hadn't had much time to tend to it before. Zero had removed the knife and managed to stop the bleeding for the most part with a makeshift bandage, but the wound was deep and she could see that blood had seeped through the cloth.

"It will get infected," the lord said crossly.

"Please, Yori," Yuki pleaded anxiously. "I don't like seeing you hurt. I don't want it to get worse."

A pause. Then her friend sighed in reluctant acquiescence, standing.

"Thank you," Yuki told her as Hanabusa directed her to come outside.

"We need light to see it. Zero, come on." The blond gestured, and in a moment the four of them had gathered just outside the cave.

Yuki blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes. She had been sitting in the cave for a while now, and the light stung painfully as it stabbed into her retinas. After a moment, she was finally able to unsquint her eyes. Outside, it was much more evident that Yori had been crying. The princess felt a stab of guilt. The reason Yori hadn't wanted to deal with her wound was most likely because she hadn't wanted anyone to notice.

"Do you know how to do this?" Yuki asked worriedly as Zero fished a needle and thread from his pack.

The silver knight flicked violet eyes up to hers. They were calm, composed, and reassuring. She relaxed even before hearing his words. "Of course," he answered. Of course, her mind echoed, because Zero was always reliable. A true knight.

"Yuki, why don't you hold her hand?" Hanabusa prompted, beginning to unwind the bandage from Yori's arm.

The princess nodded, taking her friend's hand at once. Yori looked at her and winced out a smile as Hanabusa cleaned the gash as best he could with a bit of water and clean cloth. Yuki bit her lip. She hated seeing her childhood friend bruised and battered, both physically and emotionally. Her heart was exerting pressure on her chest, clenching it tighter and tighter. Although Yuki had never seen it, she knew that there was magic in this world. She wished that she had a little of it right now, to heal the pain that Yori felt.

The lord placed the hand that belonged to Yori's wounded arm on his shoulder, talking her through the process. "Okay, you have to leave your arm like this so the blood isn't flowing as much. I'll hold it here so don't worry. Yuki has your other hand. Zero is going to sew the wound shut to help it heal, so it'll sting a bit. Just talk to Yuki and don't pay attention to what we're doing." Despite the knight's casual tone, Yuki was not very assured by the fact that Hanabusa was using both hands to restrain Yori; one hand around the girl's wrist and the other on her hand. She tightened her own grip in response.

"What should we talk about?" Yuki inquired, trying her best not to look at Yori's arm. She had made the mistake of looking too long before, and she couldn't forget the gruesome image that had burned itself into her brain.

Yori gave her a helpless look.

"Do I have to do everything?" Hanabusa snapped. "Tell her about your plans, Yuki. Where are we going? Just talk."

Yuki swallowed. Zero had started sewing now, and Yori's eyes shut painfully. Quickly, she began to speak. "Um, we're going south. I think we can ask my Uncle Rido for help. He doesn't like Kaname, but he also doesn't like to leave his kingdom. I've heard only bad things about him... He disowned his own son and conquered land enough to build his own kingdom despite being banished from the capital. It's a risk, but one that I want to take. After what happened...I can't allow Kaname to defile my adopted father's throne."

Yori sucked in a breath. Yuki faltered, panicking slightly. Should she keep going? Should she stop? She had never been in this situation before.

"What is it that you want exactly, Yuki?" the blond prodded her to continue.

Right. She had to keep going. Give Yori something else to concentrate on. "Peace," she replied. "Prosperity. A land where the powerful do not prey on the powerless." A land where innocents did not have to die...

"Where castles are made of gingerbread and the moats are filled with blackberry wine." Hanabusa snorted.

"No!" Yuki burst out. "I just... I will do anything in my power to stop Kaname from becoming king. Because of him, the world is dyed with the color of blood. It will never be able to go back to the way it was before."

"So you want to fight."

"Yes." Zero had helped her realize that. She wanted to protect those she loved, like Yori, as well as the rest of the kingdom. She did not want a tragedy like this to be repeated ever again. "But first we need to gain support and more men. After all, it is the army with the larger number that wins more often than not."

"Has your experience ever involved any actual fighting? You? Yourself? Have you ever tried to kill another man who was trying to kill you?" Cold blue eyes regarded her.

She hesitated. "Well, no... But I have to do something! Not after... What Kaname did was cruel and unjust. I don't think the people of the Nine Kingdoms want someone as ruthless and debase as my cousin on the throne."

"You assume," Yori said suddenly through grit teeth, a little pale but seeming to handle the stitches well now. "So your reasons to sit the throne are true and his are false? They don't know their own minds but you do? Be careful, Yuki. You must gauge the situation before you plunge ahead. The Wakabas may support you, but you do not know how the other kingdoms feel."

"Well said." The blond lord nodded. "You're an eloquent woman. Yuki, I don't mean to say that you're wrong, only perhaps a bit...inexperienced. I agree that you're the rightful ruler, but we have to be careful how we proceed. Starting with your uncle is a good plan."

Yuki sighed, a little deflated, but undeterred. "The only problem is... How do we reach my uncle?"

"Travel south and then southwest," Zero murmured, "through the Blackmire Basin until we arrive in Sakaido. Then west to Seagate. Finished."

Yuki dared to look now. Zero was tying a fresh bandage around Yori's arm, the wound safely out of sight. As she released Yori's hand, however, she noticed that the hand on Hanabusa's shoulder was still tense and white-knuckled. The princess blinked. Yori had held her hand tightly, but with nowhere near that force.

"You can let go now," the blond announced on cue.

"Oh... Sorry." Yori slowly released him. He grimaced, flexing his shoulder.

"Yori," the princess scolded, "you could have used my hand, too."

Her friend smiled wanly. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"So you hurt me instead? Thanks," Hanabusa griped, though Yuki knew he didn't mean it seriously.

"You seem easy to abuse," Yori stated without a trace of emotion, so convincingly that it was a moment before Yuki realized the girl was joking.

The princess giggled, wrapping her arms around her friend again in a hug, eyes filling suddenly with tears. Yori was one of the most incredible people she knew. Crushed with her father's death and the loss of her home she was still able to continue forward and even joke. She stepped back, shaking her head to clear her tears. She never wanted to see the people close to her hurt, and yet simply by being close they were hurt...

Zero touched her shoulder then. It was a simple, silent gesture, but one that radiated warmth. She met his eyes and smiled. Somehow, he had grown to be more and more in sync with her. The weight of his hand communicated wordlessly everything she knew he would have said.

"Let's go inside," the silver knight suggested quietly.

Yuki nodded. "Shall we, Yori?" She offered her arm to her friend.

The girl linked arms with her, the corners of her mouth lifting upwards. Yuki was struck once again by the strength and bravery of her friends. She would win back the kingdoms for them. She had to. Above all, she wanted to bring them home.

* * *

 **A/N:** If Yuki's such a psychic she should be able to know what's Zero's REALLY saying through his hand. 'I love you I love you I love you.' LOL. She's got to study her psychic skills a little more. Maybe they should pay a visit to Hogwarts before heading down to Rido's?


	34. 34 Yori

**YORI**

Gathering firewood for the evening meal, eyes hazed with a blur of thoughts, Yori's attention was on anything but the branches in her hands. Preoccupations dug a furrow between her eyebrows which stood out with stark definition, a clear signpost to her inner snare of thoughts. Only days before her life had been effervescent; now, the kiss of catastrophe tainted her every thought with sorrow, rage, and the hope of revenge. The mundane task before her did little to distract her from the shuffle of ruthless, unrelenting thoughts.

What could she do? All the thousands of memories of her father and of The Vale that she had accumulated deep inside her heart were slipping through her fingers like the ethereal notes of a fading melody. Those memories poured across her conscious, battering her with the knowledge that her refuge and home had been inundated by violence. The Vale had been razed; its existence had become a pale, flimsy reflection of what it once had been within the haunted caverns of her mind. And there, seeded deep within her heart, those memories whispered angrily, bitterly, as they grieved. She could not chase off their whispers. Those whispers called for revenge, called for justice.

She felt herself start to shake with infuriation, unable to stop. Try though she might to redirect the flood of her emotions, the memories of The Vale lingered just beneath the surface of her thoughts, snagging against her conscious with ragged claws. The pit of her stomach knotted painfully as an unbearable sorrow tangled over her limbs, ensnaring her. For a moment, she had to rapidly blink against threatening tears. Squaring her shoulders and inhaling sharply, she snatched another branch from the ground irately. She reminded herself that yes, The Vale was gone, but her people had escaped, and in time she would have vengeance for what Kaname had done.

Despite the lack of tangible evidence, there was an unshakeable certainty in her gut that it had been Kaname who had caused the destruction of her home. No one else should have been privy to The Vale´s location, nor possessed such a great motive to destroy it. How could Kaname do this? The Wakaba family had been close allies to the capital for as long as anyone could remember. They did not share such close bonds to any other house or to any other kingdom. It was their medicine that supplied the castle, their bows and arrows that armed the soldiers... And all of that had been thrown away in an instant, without warning or explanation, although Yori could infer the reasons. Kaname wanted Yuki and anyone who sheltered her dead. He did not want his claim to the throne to be contested. But contested it would be. Contested, and hopefully...seized from his grasp...

The branch she held in her hand snapped suddenly. Fury quivered across her fingertips with visible vibrations. Her people had never wronged any house, any kingdom. They were innocent of whatever crime Kaname might pin on them to justify this violence. But her father had housed Yuki Kuran, the rightful heir to the throne... That, in and of itself, had been enough to drive Kaname to this heinous act.

"Hey, be careful!" a voice suddenly brought her back to reality. "For crying out loud, you and Yuki both..." Hanabusa muttered, gesturing to her hand. Yori glanced down, surprised to see a rivulet of blood from where the bark of the branch had cut her. A few feet away, she saw Yuki dabbing blood away from her arm where it had scraped up against a tree.

Yori shrugged. "It´s nothing."

"Just what are you trying to accomplish by breaking the firewood?" he asked in exasperation.

"I´m practicing...to break Kaname Kuran´s neck..." she murmured, feeling her muscles tense as she spoke the syllables of his name, mouth pinching into a grimace.

To her surprise, the knight gave a short laugh. "Well, in that case...by all means..."

"I don´t want to kill him," Yuki admonished, moving closer as she inspected her arm. "He is my cousin, even after what he's done."

The blond knight told the girl seriously, "He isn´t going to give up the throne without bloodshed, I'm sure of that."

"I´ll do it," Yori commented morbidly, eyes darkening perceptibly. With only one arrow, she was quite sure she could puncture that swollen, infected pustule in his chest that he misused as a heart.

"No _one_ is going to do it," the knight reprimanded her. "We're going to need the help of an army to overthrow Kaname."

"Can't we...capture him?" Yuki suggested feebly. In her eyes, it was apparent that she knew such a possibility was unlikely or foolish.

"And what would we do with him after?"

"Execute him," Yori recommended.

"Yori!" Yuki exclaimed softly. "Killing him shouldn't be our first recourse. He could be stripped of his titles and lands, instead."

"A public execution wouldn't be bad..." Hanabusa mused.

"Hanabusa! Honestly, both of you... There are many that die that deserve to live and many that live that deserve to die. Can you tell the difference?"

The two nobles were quiet. Yori knew what her friend was saying. She understood. And still, in Kaname's case...she thought perhaps he did deserve death. He was vindictive, a killer, and had shown no remorse for his deeds. Lesser men would have been killed for those actions. Because Kaname was noble, did that absolve him of similar punishment? Yori thought not.

"I'm not so eager to deal out death as a punishment. Enough blood has been spilled on his account. I will take back the throne without killing him." Yuki paused. "If it's possible..."

"It would be unwise." Zero had now joined them his well, his murmur immediately drawing the attention of the other three. "Kaname will not forgive you for taking the throne..."

"Think about it carefully, Yuki," the Aidou lord said quietly. "Do you really think leaving your cousin alive is a viable option?"

The princess bit her lip, though she did not respond. Into the silence, Yori told her, "It is an unpleasant question. But what change of power has ever been accomplished without killing?"

Yuki shook her head, eyes still on the ground as she answered, "I already know how it will end. All the same...I want to remain hopeful." She raised her eyes to Yori's face now. "It may not be possible, as you say, but nevertheless..." She trailed off.

"You've got a kind heart, Yuki. It could get us all killed." Hanabusa's mouth twitched upwards into a sardonic smile.

"Yuki, hand me your firewood," Zero insisted rather abruptly, gathering what she carried and adding it to his own armful.

Zero broke off from the group then, heading back to their campsite, and the others followed suit. Yori walked alongside the other girl, who seemed contemplative. Yuki's usually clear eyes were overshadowed with heavy grey clouds. Yori had almost forgotten that Kaname was still Yuki's family. The Wakaba noble wanted to ignore that fact. In her opinion, Kaname Kuran did not deserve his life, not after squandering so many innocent ones. But, to Yuki, who was more kind than anyone Yori knew... The auburn-haired girl felt a faint smile trace her lips. Yuki and Yuki alone would want to spare the life of her enemy. But, a Yuki who wasn't kind-hearted wasn't Yuki at all.

"You are more kind than Kaname deserves," Yori told her friend.

"I just…I don't want anyone else to die," the dark-haired girl admitted softly.

"Despite our misgivings, if sparing Kaname's life is what you wish…I think all of us will try to honor your wish."

Yuki's eyes lightened a touch and she replied sincerely, "Thank you."

"How long will it take to reach Sakaido?" Yori asked as they placed the firewood into a pile and Zero began arranging it in the circle of dirt they had previously dug out and cleared of brush.

"If we had horses, it would be faster," Hanabusa muttered glumly as he helped Zero.

"Depending on the conditions…" Zero paused contemplatively, then, "Two or three weeks."

Yuki let out a small sigh but nodded. Yori felt her teeth clench. Two or three weeks? She wanted vengeance now. She could feel her hand twitch, longing for the form of her bow. She was a normally a patient woman, but two or three weeks was far too much time to leave Kaname on the throne. It had taken him less than a day to burn The Vale to the ground, to murder her father in cold blood…

What atrocities would the king commit while they traveled to Sakaido?

* * *

 **AN:** All of them are talking while Zero's just like 'Yuki lemme be a powerful strong man and carry dat for ya' -flexing muscles-. Meanwhile, Yuki still can't do anything at all! Woo! Female empowerment! She can't fight, she can't cook for sure, she can't do first aid, I mean what can she do? She could probably run in heels. Maybe. Which would only give her an advantage if she were, say, to go to Jurassic Park.

Who knows, maybe that's where Rido lives. I wouldn't be against it. Yuki can get eaten by a dinosaur and Yori can then tame it, ride it, and use it to eat Kaname. PERFECT.

(JK. Momentarily hating on Yuki haha).


	35. 35 Mari

**AN:** Ok, lemme esplain. I'm not sure if you remember, but in the VK manga the Hanadagi family had a very awesome servant. She was literally the only character with dark skin (Hino fails at diversity, as do a lot of mangakas...), fiesty, and seemed like a strong female character-so she stood out even in her minor role. I was really hoping she'd become a more prominent character, but sadly...she didn't. So I decided to include her in this fic to give her a little time to shine. Ofc we don't know much about her, so I had to invent a lot of her personality, I hope you don't mind... Basically, I really liked her in the like 5 pages total she had in the manga (chapter 78 for those who wanna look for her) so...here she is XD. She also had no name, and I know it's similar to Maria, but realistically, on an island like the Nine Kingdoms...wouldn't a lot of people have similar names? ANYWAY I'M BABBLING. HERE YOU GO. -throws chapter at y'all-

* * *

 **MARI**

Mari slammed her hand down against the table, eyebrows violently ramming into one another as she declared, "Why can´t we just kill him?!" Her irascible gaze raked over each and every member of their group, gathered in secret to discuss revolution. Ashgate was suffering because of the current leadership, and the dozens men and women crowding around the dusty cellar of one of the local inns was proof that the king and his despicable army were rapidly losing support.

"Eh...you do realize Kaname is the king and a powerful noble, right?" another member of the meeting, a man named Kaito, asked. "You think we´re meeting here because taking action would be easy?"

She spat on the floor. "That´s what I think about it. We´ve been meeting here and talking since the princess disappeared. What will it take to finally convince you that we need to do something? Isn´t this enough?!" She gestured with infuriation towards her childhood friend, Fuka Kisaragi, who still bore the angry purple bruises from where Kaname´s soldiers had beaten her.

What they had done to her...Mari shook, livid, hands balling into fists. Fuka had stumbled to her door, crying and bleeding and barely able to stand. And still these people did nothing. They did nothing even though pure, innocent Fuka had been abused like this. Fuka, who was her mother´s only aide at their sewing shop, who had barely turned 16 last month, who loved flowers and had thought Kaname Kuran to be very handsome... But that was before. Now...now Fuka had become a casualty, a victim with no hope for justice or peace from the trauma that had been inflicted on her. And it wasn´t just Fuka. Every day, more such atrocities occurred. The family just down the street had been robbed just yesterday, their eldest son found dead in the kitchen.

And for some reason, this Kaito, a man who she had never even seen before these meetings, thought he should intervene. How could she trust him when he deftly avoided every question aimed at him about where he lived, what he did, who he was...? The only things she knew about him were that he was annoying and his family name was Takamiya. Or at least he said it was. Personally, she trusted him about as far as she could throw an ox cart. Which, despite her impressive strength, was not very far at all.

"Lord Kaname is our enemy. That much is clear," an older, red-haired, and foul-expressioned man named Jinmu said, the scar that cut across his face moving as he spoke.

"We already came to that conclusion!" Mari snapped. "What are we going to _do_? Trying to speak to the royal court was impossible." That plan had been a terrible failure. One of their number had suggested bringing the situation with the soldiers directly to the king at court. As expected, Kaname had brushed them aside, saying the situation would resolve itself with time.

"I dare say we aren´t going to lunge at the king with a knife the next time he passes through the city," Kaito told her in a frustratingly serene tone. "Or had you forgotten his guards..?"

"What are you trying to say? That we just take it?"

"No. I´m advising caution. No one has presented any logical ideas."

Mari should have sympathized with Kaito. She knew what it was like in Ashgate as an outsider. She herself was one and had been her entire life. Her parents had arrived in Ashgate when she was only 3 to make a new life in the Nine Kingdoms after fleeing from a land across the sea where the Hanadagi name had become a danger rather than a benefit. As such Mari was one of the only people in the entire city with thick, black hair and coffee-colored skin. Such features called attention to her in sometimes unwanted ways, as many of the men found her exotic and beautiful, but in general she hadn´t found it to be a burden. Now, after living in Ashgate for so long, she was an accepted member of the community. She worked happily enough as a blacksmith, and as of yet she had not personally had any trouble with the soldiers.

But she knew that at any moment it could change. At any moment she could be another Fuka, another nameless, faceless victim of this military occupation. The soldiers were unstoppable with their arms, armor, and training. One man had tried to stop them...and he had been beaten to death. Then, as if that weren´t enough, the soldiers had set fire to his home. And still this "revolution" had done nothing. Mari was becoming increasingly ashamed for having put her faith in anyone other than herself.

"May I make a suggestion?" To everyone´s surprise, a slim, hungry-eyed waif stepped out of the corner. Dirty, tangled hair clung tightly to her face. Her eyes seemed like giant orbs, shadowed by dark circles and a jutting brow. The girl saw she had their attention, and continued, "There is another who could claim the throne..."

"The princess is dead and Lord Rido is in exile. I´m not sure who else would have a valid claim to the throne," Mari told the girl with a shake of her head. If only there was another...

"The throne would have passed to the Aidous," the girl replied impassively.

Mari's brow wrinkled. How could the throne have passed to another House? Yuki was unwed and the throne had belonged to the Kuran family for generations. After Kaname, if he were to die, it should pass back to his father. She turned back to the congregation, intent upon ignoring the child, when Jinmu said, "I believe I see what you´re hinting at..."

"Yes." The girl nodded. "There are rumors that Princess Yuki had accepted Lord Hanabusa Aidou´s marriage proposal as an alternative to her cousin."

The blacksmith blinked rapidly. How could this beggar girl be privy to such information? Unless… Gradually, the pieces began to fall into place. Could it be possible that Lord Nagamichi had eyes and ears about the entire city? Did Kaname, as well? Did he know about these meetings, too? Suddenly, the room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature. The once-familiar faces of her companions were immediately shrouded by cold distrust and suspicion. Any one of them could be a spy, a traitor… But how would Mari ever know which?

"Which gives Lord Nagamichi Aidou a claim to the throne as well...," Jinmu was saying.

"If you choose to support such a claim, yes," the girl affirmed.

The look the red-haired man directed at the waif was measuring. Then, slowly, he responded, "Perhaps it would be of mutual interest for us..."

"Then perhaps your rebellion can gain some momentum."

Mari found her eyes bouncing rapidly from the waif to Jinmu to Kaito and back again. An undercurrent of anger simmered beneath her skin. She didn't appreciate being left out of the exchange. She had been one of the first to join Jinmu when he had proposed change, and as such she wasn't just some new recruit. But she didn't know if she had anything to add, either. To the contrary, she was surprised...very surprised. She had never thought to approach another high lord for assistance, though it appeared at least one of them was willing to give it, at least when it benefitted him.

"Heh." Kaito grinned suddenly.

"Indeed," Jinmu smiled tightly. Then, abruptly, "This meeting is adjourned. We will meet at the usual hour in 4 days time."

In the time it took Mari to process the man's words, the beggar child had already vanished into the shadows. Feeling uneasy, the dark-skinned young woman turned to look at Fuka, who was sitting meek and expressionless beside her. Mari felt her heart lurch. The younger girl was a walking testimony to the cruelty of the soldiers. Her pale skin was littered with angry purple bruises, the corner of her mouth scabbed from where it had been busted open, and her left arm and hand carefully wrapped to protect her wrist, which had nearly been broken. The smith swallowed. Fuka had scarcely spoken a word since that night…

Mari draped an arm around her friend's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, Fuka, we will avenge you," she promised. "Come on," she murmured, and helped the girl stand, leading her by the hand back to the streets.

The blacksmith swore to herself that Fuka would indeed be avenged. If not by the rebellion, then by Mari herself. Kaname was only a man, after all. His body was flesh and blood, just like any other. She smiled grimly. The king's days were numbered.

* * *

 **AN:** Annnnd as you can see, some other VK characters have popped up! Kaito, Jinmu, and ofc Fuka from that little VK side story. I told you I'd include everyone, didn't I? Don't doubt me hehehehe. The only person I might not include is the original Hunter President, who oddly enough also doesn't have a name... Anyway how do y'all feel about my new character? I hope you don't hate her! -hugs Mari-

Tune in next week as we get back into the action with our 4 heroes!


	36. 36 Yori

**A/N:** Hey, look who's back narrating AGAIN? What'd I tell ya? Yori is takin' over XD.

* * *

 **YORI**

The ground squished wetly beneath her feet, threatening her balance for the span of a few seconds before she righted herself and continued on. It had been several days since they had crossed over into the Touma lands, the Brackmire Basin, and because of the conditions they had been forced to follow the road despite their better judgment. Although traveling along the road presented the danger of being recognized, they had met no one. The road itself was in poor condition, overrun with plants, insects, and lizards. Now, at the peak of the summer, those insects were out in full force, buzzing around them in a cloud of bloodthirsty bodies.

Yori batted away at the buggy haze halfheartedly. It was useless. The moment that she ceased to move they flocked back hungrily, and she didn't have the energy to continuously shoo them away. Fortunately, the swamp here was a little cooler than other terrain might have been, but regardless she could still feel the heat of the sun as it coaxed out her sweat, a sweet nectar that the insects were drawn to. Due to the condition of the road, the group had determined it was safer to walk single-file, and so behind her she could hear the occasional curse from Hanabusa, who was undoubtedly being eaten alive as well. Zero, at the head of the line, did not utter a word of complaint, as she should have expected.

Her gaze flicked out across the murky, green water that characterized the region. A faint layer of mist clung to its surface, both mysterious and foreboding, hinting at the dangers that potentially lurked within those depths. Yori had never been to the Brackmire Basin before, but if any of the Nine Kingdoms was home to dangerous creatures, she would have wagered it to be this one. Above the brackish waters stretched thin, skeletal trees. Clumps of moss hung off their limbs like swathes of flesh. She shivered, turning her eyes back to the road. She didn't want to think of skeletons, or death...

Abruptly, Yori felt as though she might sink back into the turbulent depression that had plagued her before. She had gathered herself together for Yuki's sake, stuffing in her emotions as one might stuff a doll. There would be time to grieve the loss of her father, her home, and so many brave men and women later. However, the instant she strayed from this determination, the moment she let her thoughts waver for even a few seconds... In that instant it seemed as though every tree had the potential to transform into a corpse and haunt her. Her fingers trembled, her heart speeding the needles of memory pricked at her mind once again. Inhaling deeply, she forced herself to calm down, slowing so that she might look up and glimpse the sky through the thin mist that veiled the area.

She focused on Yuki's quiet chatter instead. Her friend was her anchor now, the only thing holding her together. She had to continue for the sake of her people, for those who had survived. She had to continue moving forward for the princess who she would support until she drew her last breath.

"Zero, do you this is water or poison? It's green..." Yuki was saying.

"It's water..." Zero answered. "Don't drink it, though..."

"What do the animals drink then? Do you think there are fish?"

"The animals are different, Yuki. They're used to it," the knight replied.

"Okay, but what about fish?"

"Probably."

"Yori, would you eat a fish from this water?" Yuki asked then, throwing a glance back her way.

Yori smiled in response, though she felt disconnected from the movement. The upward curve of her lips was hollow. "No," came her short answer.

"Well, what about you Zero? Yori says no..."

"If we are hungry enough we will."

"Well, I hope that doesn't happen," the princess muttered.

Yori was glad that Yuki didn't press her to join further in the conversation. Today she had been feeling particularly melancholy and she didn't have the spirit to form any sort of contribution, although she was happy that her friend continued to remind her that she was not forgotten, only given space.

Perhaps it was only her imagination, but as they progressed forward it seemed as though the mist was thickening into fog, curling around their feet like claws. The sky above them seemed to be darkening into a blurred, malevolent grey that stretched endlessly overhead. Even the temperature seemed to be dropping, leaving her skin feeling almost clammy. The only positive side to the transition was that the cloud of bugs seemed to have dispersed.

Yori glanced uneasily around them, noting that the further forward they moved, the more the mist seemed to press in on them, obstructing her vision. Maybe it wasn't just her, as Yuki had grown strangely quiet, as well. Could it be some kind of storm? Or merely a change in the terrain?

"Yuki..." she whispered tentatively. "It's getting dark..."

"Mm," the princess nodded. "I don't know very much about this place... Maybe it's normal?"

"Maybe..." she murmured, not particularly convinced. There was a chill to the air that crept eerily across her skin like a bad omen.

They pressed onward, this time in total silence. It was becoming increasingly difficult to see the path beneath their feet, and a few times Zero stopped to ensure that they were following the road. Although it was morning and the sun should have illuminated their path, the only light that seemed to reach them was the greenish glow of the water, which washed the four travelers with a sickly hue.

Keeping her eyes firmly glued to the winding path before her, Yori tried to concentrate instead on earth. She had always found peace in nature. Even here in the swamp the plants were not entirely alien to her. Mostly the road was composed of worn, dead plants that had been flattened with use, but she could see that the swamp was gradually reclaiming its territory. Moss and other small vegetation were eroding the borders, bringing bits of color with them. Green, orange...they were a change from the shades of brown beneath her boots. As she stepped, she could hear a damp crunch, like that of bone...

Yori inhaled sharply, eyes fleeing everywhere but the ground. The colors were all blending together, becoming red. Red, like blood, like the fountain of blood that had spurted from her father's neck. Like the blood that had smeared down Seiren's face...

She shivered fragilely, her skin feeling like glass. Try as she might, she couldn't erase what she had seen, what had happened, what she had found herself capable of. It had been Yori herself who had drawn back the string of her bow and drawn blood. She swallowed dryly, sinking further back into herself. She felt drained, as though she was stranded in a waking nightmare. This couldn't be real... Had she really lost so much like this? But she knew that she had, she had and there was no way to regain it. And yet she knew she could not surrender. Her home might be gone, but as long as her people survived, there was still hope.

Abruptly, Yuki gave a cry, freezing and staring out into the swamp. On edge, Yori quickly scanned as far out as she could through the fog, though she could see nothing.

"What is it?" Zero asked, voice grave, turning to the princess.

"N-nothing," Yuki stammered after a moment. "I just...thought I saw a ghost..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... "

Zero paused, then nodded. "Okay..." He, too, seemed affected, though. She noticed that his jaw was tight, his expression strained. Even the silver knight was on edge.

Yori took a breath. The two ahead of her had started walking again. She took one last look out into the mist...and felt as though a knife had stabbed into her gut. There, flung amidst the branches in the shadowy silhouette of a tree, was a broken body. The limbs were twisted gruesomely, swaying slightly in a nonexistent breeze. If she looked closer, she could almost make out its expression, mouth opened wide into a silent scream, it's features locked in terror. Those features were arranging themselves before her eyes, becoming familiar, until at last she recognized her step-mother.

Eyes widening, she shook her head in denial, stepping backward rather than forward, refusing to see. She had never seen her step-mother's body. She should have escaped with the rest of the townsfolk. Was it possible she had run south, only to die here..? The air was shooting needles through her lungs. She felt as though she couldn't breathe, her throat tight.

"There's nothing there," Hanabusa's voice assured her, and she realized she had nearly backed into him. "Close your eyes and look again."

Automatically, she followed his advice, shutting her eyes and then reopening them again after a pause. The tree remained, but the body was gone, as though it had never been. She shuddered.

"The fog is playing tricks," he murmured. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Just look at the ground, not into the fog."

She sucked in a breath, nodding. She knew he was right. There was nothing there. Her step-mother was safe.

"Come on, we don't want to lose the others," he told her, and she hurried to catch up to Yuki, who had nearly disappeared ahead of them into the mist.

"Stay close," Zero reminded them when they rejoined the group.

By this point, the fog was so dense that Yori could scarcely see a few feet ahead of them. Even the trees were masked. It was as though they traveled within a cloud. Aside from the road itself and her companions, the only thing that the girl could see was the water to their left, now more grey than green in the lighting.

After a while, it seemed as though voices were calling from within the fog. First, she could hear only screams, but gradually the voices became clearer and spoke to her in words. She heard familiar voices as well. The guards, members of the town. She heard her step-mother, praising her skills with the bow. And as she heard them, she could see them as specters floating just out of reach in the fog, watching her with black eyes that leeched the remaining warmth from the air.

"Yori, what have you done?" The voice of her littlest half-sister drifted to her. She shook her head. She had only protected them. She had fought to defend them!

"Don't leave us," her half-brother begged. No, she hadn't left, she hadn't. She was following Yuki so that she might create a better future for them. She was doing what was right. Wasn't she?

"Yori-" But their voices transformed into screams and their ghosts were cut apart before her eyes, sliced to ribbons in a wind that she could not feel. She felt the hot splatter of their blood against her skin, even though when she looked she could see nothing.

Shaking and deeply rattled, she suddenly realized that she was confronted now by the spirit of her father. "Stay here and protect our people," his voice echoed from her memory. She hadn't. She hadn't, but she had done it to protect him.

"You failed them," he told her, and pointed down to the murky water.

There, beneath the surface of the water, she could see their faces. Dozens of faces, lined up, row after row, still and white and asphyxiated beneath the surface. All dead. It couldn't be true. They were safe. She believed that. Yet they were before her eyes, body after body, all dead because she hadn't been there to defend them. And there, in the center, was her father, her step-mother, her siblings...

With a strangled cry, she turned, crashing into Hanabusa. She had forgotten him, forgotten Yuki and Zero. A sound crashed against her ears. Was that her sobbing, or the ghosts of her people who might have been torn from this world because of her failure?

"Yori, calm down, there's _nothing there_ ," the blond knight said forcefully, steadying her as she nearly fell.

Beside her, a shape flickered, and when she turned her head, she saw that the corpses of the townspeople were rising out of the depths of the swamp, their empty black eyes fixated on her. They opened their mouths as if to speak, but the only sound that emerged was the buzz of flies. Then they began to move towards her slowly, leaving bloody footprints behind them. She could hear them screaming, dying over and over in her ears. They were coming for her, to drag her down with them, to make her pay for her betrayal.

Franticly, her eyes were searching for an escape. There was none, and the press of the dead was approaching, ever closer. "Yori-" the lord tried to reach her. "Yori," the chorus of voices echoed hungrily, stretching pale fingers towards her. She was too terrified to even scream. She broke away from Hanabusa, desperate. She had to get away. She had to flee, she had to run where they couldn't reach her, where they couldn't take her with them.

Without thinking, she took off running.

* * *

 **A/N:** -lays on a piano dramatically- DUn DuN dUN!

-whispers-: and then a blood thirsty shark leaps up from the waters and swallows Yuki down in one gulp. -cough hack cough-

Also as a side note, I've got 2 new upcoming fics: one a request I got for an Aidori fic, which should be published in the next week or so, and another-that Shima fic I keep meaning to publish (the one similar to Scarlet Letters), so don't forget to check my author page from time to time if you're interested in new FF from yours truly (or subscribe I guess, either way. My email is always screwy so I rarely rely on updates like that). The Aidori one will be quickburn (is that a thing?) but the Shima one will be slowburn as usual bc that's my style LOL sorry... I'm hopeless XD.

Yep, that's all the news for now I think. These next couple of chapters should be pretty fast-paced compared to the last few, which I'm pretty happy about! Until next week!


	37. 37 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

"Dammit." Hanabusa took off after Yori, shouting back to the others, "Wait there!" He prayed that they heard him. He didn't want to think about being separated from their companions.

Yori was dashing back along the road the way they had come, too frightened to think clearly. Something about this place seemed to spark the imagination and play upon one's worst fears or memories. As for Hanabusa himself, he had seen nothing, but the fog was unnerving and sent eerie shivers down his spine.

"Yori, stop!" he yelled, to no effect. The girl seemed not to hear, sprinting ahead as agilely as some kind of woodland fairy. He was hard-pressed to keep up with her, which might have impressed him if the circumstances had been different.

At last, the auburn-haired girl slowed, seeming to come to her senses. She stopped, looking around dazedly. Panting, Hanabusa halted beside her, needing a moment to catch his breath before he could say anything. Although they had merely run back along the road itself, he didn't recognize where they were. Then again, everything looked the same in the swamp. Here the path had narrowed and the greenish waters lapped on either side, forming a thin bridge of land that seemed to have at one time been reinforced with wood, but at this point had deteriorated substantially. The fog was still strong here, but not nearly as bad as it had been further ahead where he hoped Zero and Yuki still waited.

"I'm sorry..." Yori murmured after a moment.

Straightening, he waved off her apology, curbing a flare of irritation. After all, he couldn't forget that the sharp edge of her recent nightmares still hadn't dulled. "What did you see?" he asked instead.

Hazel eyes flicked away from him. Then, tentatively, "My-My family... The townspeople... Dead..." She couldn't continue, shaking her head, eyes watering dangerously. If Yori had been a normal girl, he would have held her, but because she was not he was rendered helpless, unsure of how to comfort her.

"I know it wasn't real," she managed at last, pulling herself together for the most part, although a few tears still escaped, slipping down from the corners of her eyes. He had to give her credit; Yori was incredibly strong. Despite whatever the fog had shown her, the loss of her father, and the destruction of her home, she had not given in to grief.

"That doesn't make it any easier to see..." He trailed off, then, "Yuki saw something, as well. It seems as though the swamp is enchanted."

Yori nodded, taking deep breaths and seeming to regain more of her composure with each one.

"There's no other way. You know we have to go back. Zero and Yuki are waiting for us." _I hope_ , he added mentally. He didn't want to think about losing track of them here in Brackmire Basin.

"I know." She attempted a smile. For a moment, she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When she reopened them, she seemed to stand a little straighter. "Okay. Let's go."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" he ribbed, hoping to distract her from any thoughts that might trigger her to see more images in the fog. He wasn't entirely kidding, though... Part of him would have preferred keep her from running off by putting her on a tether. Unfortunately, they had gotten rid of their horses and the gear that came with them ages ago.

Yori rolled her eyes. Then, "Actually, do you think I'd fit in your pack?"

He pretended to check, "Well, it might be a tight squeeze, but there's a little room by the bread."

To his relief, she smiled. "We'll use that as a back-up plan, then."

"So, no hand-holding?" He grinned.

"Maybe you'll get lucky. I give you permission if I start to run off screaming again."

"Deal." He motioned for her to walk in front of him again and they started back down the road. He hoped it wouldn't take terribly long to catch up with Zero and Yuki, but he feared they had run further than he thought.

Until recently, Hanabusa Aidou had always believed himself to be incredibly lucky. In fact, he carried 19 years of good luck with him. But it seemed as though his luck had been buried in the ground along with King Kaien. Of course now, of all the times, they would be discovered on the road.

The fog had masked their arrival. One moment the road was clear and the next, eight or so men on horseback had materialized, bearing down upon them too fast for them to attempt an escape. There was a shout, and then they were completely surrounded. Hanabusa instantly grabbed the hilt of his sword, surveying the men warily. One he could see was not a man, but rather a boy of maybe thirteen years of age. From the looks of them, they were a hunting party. Some kind of large, thick-skinned lizard was tied to their saddles.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the boy asked, tilting back his hat and surveying the pair.

"We're merely travelers," Hanabusa answered, fingers twitching around his sword hilt. By the looks of the boy's garb and the brown and black colors of the guard, he was one of the members of the Touma household. The blond didn't know much about them, but from what he had heard, they weren't the most hospitable or kind.

"Shut up," the boy commanded.

Shut up? No one told _him_ to shut up. But he could only glower coldly. Right now, this little brat was in the position of power.

"I am the heir to the Touma house, Rei Touma. You may address me as your Lord," the kid said haughtily.

Hanabusa raised an eyebrow. This brat was quite literally sitting atop his high horse.

"Is this man bothering you?" Rei asked Yori, who seemed surprised by the question.

"No," she replied quickly. "Not at all."

"You're very beautiful." The boy analyzed the Wakaba noble slowly, a smirk playing across his lips dangerously. "Actually, my father says it's about time I had a concubine. I'll be married in a few years, after all."

"A w-what?" Yori demanded, flabbergasted.

"Guards, take her," Rei snapped his fingers, and the nearest guards began to dismount.

"Hold it right there!" Hanabusa snapped, drawing his sword. Anger flashed through him now, burning through his veins hotly. This whelp was not going to ride off with Yori, especially not to become a _concubine_ of all things. Disgust rolled through his stomach.

"You dare to draw your sword against a noble?"

Immediately, he saw that he and Yori had been surrounded by a ring of steel. He couldn't hope to fight off all of them, and Yori was at too close a range to use her bow. His mind raced. There had to be a solution, some scenario that would suddenly make Yori off-limits or at least undesirable as far as the boy was concerned. In the snap of a few seconds, he suddenly had it. He had to pride himself for being a genius among his many other talents.

"Forgive me, My Lord, but I can't stand by and let you take away my wife." His eyes met the boy's frostily, hiding the twinge of personal satisfaction he felt for having invented such a perfect solution. He couldn't see Yori's face, but he hoped that she did not expose the lie with her expression.

"Your wife?" This took the young lord aback. "You don't look married..." he said suspiciously.

"What are married people supposed to look like?" the blond demanded. With a sigh, he sheathed his sword and stepped back, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders. To his relief, she returned the embrace, wrapping her own arms around his waist. "Perhaps we still have much to learn...we haven't been married very long," he pretended to admit sheepishly.

The child scowled. Clearly this hadn't been a consideration, and he was at a loss. The young lord motioned to the guards, who lowered their weapons, and Hanabusa relaxed a fraction. It seemed like they might get away with this scheme after all.

At last, Rei grinned. "If you're married, you have to kiss. That way I'll know if you're lying or not. And if you're lying..." The child giggled suddenly, eyes lighting up wickedly. "I hope you're lying. Then I can have some fun!"

The kid was disturbed. How did a kiss prove a marriage, anyway? Hanabusa felt Yori flinch against him at this demand, and felt himself tense as well. Rei Touma was calling his bluff, albeit in a nonsensical and childish way. His eyes scanned the ring of guards again, but he already knew it would be impossible fight. There was only one hope of escape, and he couldn't imagine what the Wakaba girl was feeling. To ask this of her seemed too much...

Trapped, he turned to face her, examining her expression. Her jaw was clenched, eyes like steel. It was at least better than the fear and horror that had been there after what she had seen in the fog. This was not exactly the way he had originally planned to seduce Yori, a plan he had now entirely forgotten in the wake of the destruction of the Wakaba capital.

Then again, perhaps this wasn't so bad after all. Even Sayori Wakaba couldn't be totally immune to his charms, and if he could keep her mind off her grief, this bizarre predicament would be worth it. Not that it would last... But, as long as she refrained from slapping him, they might be able to get away from Rei Touma without further trouble.

For the benefit of their audience and to gauge her reaction he said, "Sweetheart, I know you're usually shy, but is this okay..?"

Yori's lips pressed together for a moment, revealing her reluctance. In spite of that, she gave a slight nod. Not that she had much of a choice. The alternative was a fate that Hanabusa might not even wish on his enemies: to become the plaything of a child lord.

He touched her cheek, unable to convey what he wanted, that it would be okay. He wasn't used to kissing women who didn't want his advances. It was already starting to leave a bitter aftertaste, and he hadn't even kissed her yet. There was nothing pleasant about forcing intimacy. He fought back a grimace. He was a better actor than this.

"Pretend they aren't here," he instructed, half to himself, trying his best to cast Yori as the shy maiden instead of revealing the truth, that neither of them particularly wanted this kiss, albeit for reasons entirely different.

Her eyes darted to the lordling on his horse. Hanabusa's thumb stroked her cheek as he leaned forward, whispering, "Don't look at them, look at me."

Rather than focus on the situation, Hanabusa concentrated instead on Yori, remembering her smile and the sunlight that had once graced her eyes. He imagined that they were back in The Vale, in the gardens rather than a swamp. The power of his gaze could not provoke these memories, although he tried. He willed her to remember happier times, to forget their surroundings, so that whatever feelings Rei Touma thought he saw would not be entirely feigned.

His lips brushed against hers then, eyes falling shut. He wished that this kiss could comfort her somehow, although he knew it would not. Still, he wanted her to smile again from her heart one day. Her, and Yuki, and Zero as well... He couldn't see the end to their journey, but at that end he hoped the four of them could smile together.

The knight pulled back then, eyebrows drawing together, unsure if this kiss would allow him a second chance at friendship with the girl or shatter any such chances completely. It was impossible to read Yori's expression. Although she was standing right in front of him, she seemed miles away. Despite that, at the very least her mind should have been temporarily distracted from the tragedies that had befallen her.

Cautiously, he turned back to Rei. The child was scowling at them, fingers tapping with either impatience or irritation against the saddle of his horse. The guards, on the other hand, seemed more bored than concerned.

"Ha, you're idiots," Rei giggled at last. Hanabusa squinted, suspicious. "Did you really think it mattered to me if you were married or not? Your bride will make a fine addition to the household. Guards," he gestured lazily at Yori.

This little brat had to be joking. The knight wanted nothing more than to drag him out of his saddle and give him a good shaking, though he was in no position to do so. How dare this impertinent whelp challenge him once again? He had already proven their invented marriage, hadn't he? Anger was pushing its way through his limbs again.

Enraged, his sword found its way from his sheath again. "That's enough, Lord Rei," he declared in a low tone. "You have no right to challenge me." He moved close to the boy, ignoring the swords pointed in his direction, and revealed the ring on his left hand which bore the emblem of his house: a yellow eagle, its body a shield and its feathers extending into swords over a blue background.

The guards truly hesitated now. One even began to advise Rei, saying, "My Lord, perhaps-" before he was cut off.

"Silence," Rei commanded. "The Aidou crest. Lord...Hanabusa, I presume? I heard you were on the run. Funny, I didn't receive word of your marriage." One eyebrow raised archly.

"Even my father is unaware... I married without his knowledge," he chanced, knowing he was on treacherous ground here.

"Very well. I won't take your little wife."

Hanabusa relaxed. Behind him, Yori let out a breath of relief. The knight sheathed his sword once again and began to say his thanks, when he was abruptly interrupted.

"Instead, I'll hold you both for ransom. Now isn't that a twist?" The boy grinned, laughing. "It would be such a shame if I wasted all my time here."

"What?!" Hanabusa demanded. "How dare you!"

"I dare what I want. These are my lands. Don't forget. Besides, I'm a little hurt you never even sent me a wedding invitation."

This time, there was no talking his way out of capture.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that went poorly. I had to invent Touma´s name, I hope you don´t mind. Leave it to Hino to not bother to give us his first name, too.

Don´t you love patriarchal societies where a married woman is essentially worthless? Congrats Aidori on your fake marriage!

Btw, in case you were curious as to why the chapter names repeat the number, that´s because FF doesn't allow you to have 2 chapters with the same name, and I didn't want to leave them nameless bc it would be hard to navigate so...that was my solution. Yay... -waves pathetic flag-


	38. 38 Zero

**ZERO**

With the fog rolling around them, Zero found himself relying on senses other than sight. However, nothing was apparent to him. There was no sound beyond the usual noises of the swamp and their own footprints, no odd smells, nothing to alert him to any sort of danger. Nevertheless, the cloud they traveled through appeared ominous in nature.

"Keep close," the knight murmured back to Yuki, wary as his eyes squinted out into the dark fog, attempting to make out something beyond the mist.

The silver knight was not afraid of the darkness. No matter what it held, it was nothing compared to the blackness within him. His demons were stronger and more resilient than any that he might encounter here in the swamps of the Brackmire Basin. If need be, he would release them and channel their strength in order to defend his princess. He had been kept in darkness before, as a boy, housed beneath the arena where he had been forced to fight for his life and to end the lives of so many others. He had not let it defeat him then and he would not permit it to now.

Despite that, the fog was closing in, increasingly thicker with every passing moment. He could only see a few feet in front of him; beyond that was an impenetrable wall of dense, grey cloud. Within it, he thought he could glimpse faces and figures moving back and forth, whispering and moaning. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up, warning of the dangers that the fog might conceal.

Worse, Hanabusa and Yori were nowhere to be seen. The fog had swallowed them up completely. If they had fallen behind, it would most likely not be until the fog had cleared that they would catch up. Automatically, he reached back, taking Yuki's hand, an action he would never have considered under different circumstances. He felt her slender fingers twine tightly through his. Her hand trembled slightly, and he could feel her fear transmitting from her palm to his. He would not lose her here in the swamp. He had been careless to allow Hanabusa and Yori to fall behind, but he would not be so reckless when it came to Yuki.

"Zero...do you see anything in the fog?" the princess asked tremulously, keeping close at the knight's side.

Violet eyes scanned the grey clouds. He, too, saw ghosts in the mist. The faces in the fog watched him silently, their gazes pressing in with the weight of a thousand sins. He could feel each of them whispering across his skin, reopening old scars, tracing back through his veins and entangling his heart anew. Some of their faces were familiar. Others were not. Some were bloody masks whose features he could not discern beyond the gashes and bruises.

"No," he responded firmly, a small lie that he hoped would soothe her fears.

The specters continued to throng around him. He knew all of them. They had all stood before him once, in the ring, prepared to defend their lives to the death. And he had killed them all. He had robbed them of breath, stolen their dreams, their hopes for the future. He had spilt their life's blood and watched it drain from their bodies, sometimes as they'd begged for mercy or twitched on the ground, writhing in pain. He knew there was no forgiveness for his sins. How could he ever be forgiven for taking so many innocent, helpless lives?

Indeed, those days in the arena were still with him... Strangely, the memory that came to him now was not of a fight, but rather of a visit, nearly forgotten in the corners of his mind.

 _From where he sat in his cell, alone and awaiting the next fight, Zero both heard and saw expensive, polished dark shoes came into view, halting just before his cell. His gaze traced upwards, up the silken trousers and tailored jacket up to a face he had tried to eliminate from his mind. Immediately, he could feel his mouth twisted in response, in a snarl of hatred so intense that he felt his limbs tremble under its pressure._

 _"So you haven't forgotten me," the man mused, seemingly amused. "I certainly haven't forgotten you. After all, you're the boy who made me rich. I heard you had become quite famous here in the ring, so I thought I'd stop by to pay my respects."_

 _"Kyou." The name numbed his lips, like poison. Of course, he knew without this man he would have likely died in the snowy cold of the mountain, alone after the slaughter of his village. And yet, if the alternative was this, he would have gladly preferred death. Despite that, he continued to cling to life. He always seemed to defend himself upon reflex, as if some part of him deep within was still not ready for death._

 _"How do you like it here? A cell isn't exactly where I'd pictured they'd keep their champion, but nevertheless, here you are..."_

 _The boy did not respond. His lips pressed together tightly, painfully. That distraction helped to disperse some of his rage. This was not the ring. He could not kill this man._

 _"You must think I'm a terrible person, but allow me to ask you this: how many men have you killed this month? This year? The year before?"_

 _Zero felt his fingers curling upwards into a fist._

 _"Do you even remember them?" Kyou asked, eyes glinting malevolently in the near-darkness._

 _"I remember all of them," he growled through grit teeth, spitting out the words with an animosity so putrid that it festered in the open air._

 _"Heh," the slaver sneered. "Do they weigh on your conscious? It has always been thus. The suffering of others is our sustenance. Yours was certainly mine." He jingled a bag of gold coins attached to his belt._

 _Zero regarded the man with vengeful, boiling eyes. He would have lunged to strike the slaver through the bars, but something held him in place, fastening him to the thin cot upon which he sat. The thin veneer of control was peeling off._

And yet, he had not attacked. Zero slammed his eyes shut, then opened them again gradually, allowing the light to filter back to his irises. Those days in the arena were long gone. Where there had once been darkness was now Yuki. The spark of humanity had remained guarded within him, a secret which only Yuki had known. She had brought him back from that edge, from the cusp.

He felt the warm shape of her palm within his and felt his muscles relax, the tension of memories ebbing away. Even the fog seemed less sinister now, simply by knowing that her fingers were fused with his. It was a selfish thought, a foolish one, but he did not want to let go of that hand. Not now, not ever... Perhaps in another, alternate world he was free to love this woman, but not here.

The bitterness seeped through his lungs again, making it difficult to breathe. He did this to himself, he knew, but he could not seem to stop. When the darkness had receded in his heart, Yuki had been there, as if she'd been waiting for him all along.

He could see her as she was then, younger and untouched by tragedy, smiling at him brightly in spite of his scowl. He had hated her then, for her sunshine and candor. Before he had known it, however, that emotion had transformed into another. Now, she was precious center of his existence...

At last, the fog began to ebb, fading much more rapidly than it had appeared. Within moments, the sky had returned to its former clear blue. Zero blinked, taking in their surroundings. They were no longer on the path that they had been following before. Instead, they were in a large clearing in the middle of a sparse wood of nearly leafless trees. At the opposing end of the clearing resided a large manor.

His hand tightened around Yuki's. Before them stood two figures, side by side, their expressions serene, unsurprised by the knight and his princess who had materialized out of the mist. From their outward appearances, they seemed young, but their eyes housed a feeling of timelessness. The woman had golden blond hair, the man burgundy, but both sets of eyes were an impossible shade of sapphire blue, tinted with that same eternal power. Those eyes glowed faintly even in the daylight, observing the pair from Ashgate.

"At last," the woman spoke in a soft, low tone, lips curving up into a smile. "We've been expecting you."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hehe guess who?


	39. 39 Maria

**AN:** TRIGGER WARNING FOR CONTENT: SEXUAL ASSAULT. Please dont read if this will upset you. Instead, send me a pm and I'll fill you in on the chapter.

* * *

 **MARIA**

Maria dropped the hood of her cloak, lilac eyes devouring the busy scenes before her. The city was alive, vivid with colors and sights and sounds. She glanced behind her, though she was already certain that no one had followed her here. She had spent most of the afternoon out and about amongst the commoners without consequence or discovery. By now, the hem of her pink cotton dress was ruined, dyed a dirty brown-grey as though it had been dipped in mud. She blended into the crowd well, just another young woman out for the day.

Although she knew Shizuka would disapprove of her actions, Maria did not trust rumors. She valued information that she was able to collect herself. Ashgate was in a period of transition, she knew, but the restlessness of the citizens had to stem from something. All morning, she had listened to conversations and observed the daily bustle. Although the truth had not been readily apparent at first, she had soon unveiled the source of unhappiness.

Ducking into an alley off the main road, Maria took a moment to reflect. Kaname had done well enough to continue Kaien's policies. The city had not plunged into poverty overnight. The grain of rice that had tipped the scale was Kaname's men themselves, the soldiers he had brought with him. These men, as well as many of the capital's soldiers who had joined them, now controlled the city in what Maria could only describe as a military state. The people lived in fear as the soldiers stole from them, beat them, raped their women, even killed them in some circumstances. And rather than act, Kaname allowed this to happen. Perhaps he permitted it for a reason, though she could not imagine what such a reason could possibly be.

She sighed, moving down the alley and following as it curved to the left. Now that the afternoon was heading towards dusk, she at last began to work her way back to the palace. She hoped that Shizuka had not missed her today, although recently the noble lady had been spending most of her time either with Lord Kaname or with Ichiru. Maria rarely saw the silver-haired man anymore. The moments they had together were stolen, snatched between obligations. The only place she was guaranteed to meet him was in her dreams, and that was so very, very bittersweet.

Maria remembered when she was younger how she had longed to leave the confines of Sakura Hall. The fortress had always struck her as dark, cold, and hostile. Although she adored the extensive library her cousin kept, she often grew restless there. Nevertheless, she would have preferred to remain there forever if it meant that she could once again spend time with Ichiru…

The slender girl pulled herself to a stop abruptly as she nearly collided with a trio of soldiers who were smoking idly in the alley. They looked to be originally Kaname's men, as they wore the traditional military attire of Soshiyu: dark crimson and black, emblazoned with a wolf stitched in ebony thread. It was at times hard for Maria to distinguish between the three branches of the Kuran family. There was of course Lord Kaname, from Soshiyu, with the wolf sigil. The royal family was also Kuran, although they used the royal sigil of thorns. Finally Rido Kuran who had established the ninth kingdom, Sakaido, not long ago, also used the red and black of the Kuran family. His crest, however, had been altered to a wolf devouring another of its kind…

She forced herself out of her thoughts, saying "excuse me" to the soldiers distractedly. Already, the fog of her thoughts was descending back over her senses.

Three pairs of opaque eyes watched her. The man on the left, a skinny, sharp-jawed man with a scraggly beard, stomped out his cigar. The others followed suit. The man in the middle, a tall, broad-faced man, whispered something to the third, who was a shorter, bald man. She ignored them, brushing past and continuing on her way. She didn't care what they were saying. It mattered very little to her. She already knew that they were the cause of the unrest in the city. Perhaps not them specifically, but other soldiers like them.

"Hey, little lady, want to join us for a while?" one of them called behind her.

Apprehensively, she increased her pace slightly. Pressure shot pain through her arm as the broad soldier grabbed her arm, jerking her around to face them.

"I'm terribly sorry. I-I have important matters to attend to. If you'll excuse me..?" She could feel her pulse increasing, but did her best to remain calm. She did not know how well she was succeeding in doing it. Her voice was not as steady as she would have liked it to be.

The bald soldier guffawed. "She says she's busy."

"We'll keep you busy for a little while," the soldier that was holding her arm told her, pushing her towards the other two, who caught her arms as she stumbled across the cobblestones.

She could feel her knees going weak with fear. She knew that she did not have the strength to fight these men. Desperately, she shook loose the hood that covered her face. If they knew who she was, if they recognized her, they would not dare to lay a hand on her.

"I am L-lady Maria Hio, of the Amaranthine Peaks," she fought to be brave, even as her body utterly failed her.

All of the soldiers laughed now. "She says she's a noble lady," the skinny one sniggered.

"And I'm Lord No Hair," the bald one snorted.

"Who's first?" the broad soldier asked, sneering down at Maria, who could feel the blood draining from her face.

"No!" she cried, trying to free herself. She kicked out with her feet, trying to scream, but felt a hand connect across her face, the impact stunning her for a moment.

"Shut up," the same soldier growled.

The skinny one jerked her towards him. "It's my turn to go first."

The other two didn't argue and immediately moved to block anyone who was passing by from seeing too far down into the alleyway. Maria mentally cursed herself for choosing to walk this way. It was still daylight, but evening was drawing near, and the streets were emptier than they had been even moments before. Worse, they were far back into the alley and the two other soldiers had created a barrier with their bodies that no one would be able to look past.

Futilely, she tried to kick the man once more, but the soldier slammed her against the wall, the wood grazing roughly against her cheek and jarring against her jaw. She cried out, struggling weakly against his iron grasp. In the background, she could hear the others chuckling. Her heart leapt out of her chest, straining tightly against the restraints of her flesh. She could feel his breath on her neck and lashed out further against his proximity, attempting to hurt him with her elbows and knees.

It was useless. He shoved her more forcefully against the side of the building. She could feel his hands roughly groping her body, immune to her cries for help and futile thrashing. No one was coming to save her. In novels, the hero would have swooped in by now to rescue her, but in reality there were no heroes. No one would dare to defend her against three armed soldiers. Hot tears streaked down her face as she choked back a sob.

"P-please, don't," she managed to whisper through her tears, shaking.

"Shut up," the soldier grunted, pulling her hair sharply to one side and kissing her neck.

Maria trembled violently, the reserves of all of her strength melting away. Her body was weak, frail. She had researched magic for years and still she could not do more than the smallest of feats. Despite all of her studying she could not even defend herself from three men. She felt horribly, terribly small and useless. What was the use of learning magic if she could not even stop herself from getting brutally raped?

Her thoughts were abruptly shut off as the soldier lifted up the skirt of her dress. She shook harder, squeezing her eyes shut, unable to do more than cry.

"What is going on here?" a deep voice asked.

"None of your business," one of the other soldiers told the newcomer. "Move along."

"I don't think so." There was a hiss, like the sound of steel, and she felt the man behind her tense.

Maria waited tremulously. Her fate hung in the balance of this moment. Her assailant had stopped, but if whoever had arrived decided to leave without helping her... She knew what would come next... A sob caught, hiccupping in her throat.

"I command you to stop," the stranger's tone brooked no argument.

Something transpired that Maria could not see, followed by whispers. At last, her attacker released her. She crumpled to the ground, her knees turning to liquid gelatin, whimpering. The cobblestone street had never felt so welcome beneath her fingertips.

A shadow loomed above her. Calloused hands reached down, pulling her brusquely to her feet and dragging her out of the alley. The soldiers muttered, looking after them angrily, but made no move to pursue them.

It wasn't until a few streets over that her rescuer halted, giving her a moment to rest and collect herself. As soon as he released her, she slumped against the wall, taking deep, shaky breaths. After a moment, her eyes darted upwards, widening when they saw a familiar face. The red hair and stern but kind eyes told her that this was Akatsuki Kain, both a noble and a knight. She had seen him at the palace before, although they had never spoken. She watched him, trying vainly to gather the scattering of words around her brain in order to make a sentence, noting the way his brows pulled together in concern.

After a moment, he asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded immediately, to his evident relief, and at last told him, "They... They didn't do anything."

"Yet," he noted in a deep, dangerous tone. "They were about to."

She nodded again, swallowing dryly. If he hadn't come when he did... She shuddered.

"I'm Akatsuki," he introduced himself belatedly. "From House Kain."

"I know," she murmured. "I'm Maria."

"I know," he echoed with a small smile. "You're Maria Hio." He paused, then, "Well, I knew once I saw your face."

Feeling a little better, she was able to stand without the support of the wall behind her. She tucked her hair behind her ears and said in a small voice, "I'm glad you recognize me. Those soldiers... They did not."

"It's not surprising, particularly given the way you're dressed today, my Lady." Another pause, then, "Forgive me, my Lady. I meant no offense. It was a mere observation."

Her lips quirked upwards. How refreshing. Usually noble men were full of flowers and white lies. This one, however, was straight-forward and honest. Noticing the broad sword attached to his belt, she suddenly understood. Akatsuki must be a knight at heart more than a noble, something she was grateful for. Given her state, she wasn't sure she could handle the hollow falsehoods of most nobility moment.

"I wanted to see the city for myself. I've heard rumors that the people were restless and now I understand why." She frowned. "The soldiers are in desperate need of discipline."

The set of the knight's features was grim. "Yes. I'm afraid so. Kaname allows them free reign here, a liberty which they seem to abuse in every way possible. Because of that, the people live in fear..."

"He isn't a very good king," she remarked disdainfully. Immediately, her eyes widened. She shouldn't have said that. "I-I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking-"

"No, you're right. He isn't." Akatsuki shrugged. "But I did not swear my sword to his service for his sake."

Her eyebrows raised a touch, curious. She refrained from inquiring with some difficulty. She couldn't help but feel nosy.

He chuckled, noticing her reaction. "Everyone else knows, I don't see why it should be a secret from you. I am loyal to the Lady Ruka, as I have been my entire life."

"Ruka Souen?" she queried.

"Yes," he affirmed.

Maria racked her brain. At last, she remembered the noble woman. Ruka Souen was very beautiful and popular among the courtiers. She was the youngest child of the Souen family and the only daughter. Rumor had it that she might be soon engaged to Lord Rido Kuran, although Maria wasn't sure how much stock she put into such a thing. Still, Akatsuki's confession took her by surprise, mostly because a noble of his rank should have no trouble arranging a union between himself and Ruka if he so desired. Such an easy road struck a chord of envy within her. If only her own situation were so readily resolved.

"You love her," Maria stated, hoping to confirm her thoughts.

"I do," he responded, melancholy tracing over the lines of his face.

"I don't understand." She frowned. "If you love her, then be with her."

"The Lady Ruka does not reciprocate my feelings. I have spent my life waiting and hoping, but to no avail. There is always another who holds her attention."

Her heart went out to him. She knew what that was like, to love someone so completely to no avail. Ichiru knew that she loved him. Perhaps he had known all along. It changed nothing.

She sighed, falling back against the wall. "I, too, love someone who does not return my feelings..." She hesitated, then continued, "Well, I might as well tell you. I am in love with Ichiru Kiryuu, the man my cousin Shizuka has promised to wed."

"Kiryuu?" Akatsuki looked genuinely surprised to hear the name. "There was another here in court, not long ago."

"Of course. Zero Kiryuu. I know the name. He is Ichiru's twin brother."

Akatsuki was at a loss for words.

She giggled. "He has remained a secret for a long time. Not even his brother knows that he is alive, but such a thing was necessary until very recently. I do hope that Zero is able to return to court someday... I would very much like to meet him."

"I sincerely doubt that possibility, after what Lord Kaname did," the knight observed gravely.

"I heard…" She grew quiet. The events that had transpired before her arrival were grim, indeed. Otherwise, Shizuka would have been attending meetings with Princess Yuki and the council, not Lord Kaname… Maria could not quite place the origin of the feeling, but the Kuran lord seemed untrustworthy.

"How did you find me?" the petite girl queried, thinking back to the alley with a shiver.

"Chance, I suppose. I looked to my left and saw those two soldiers. It thought it seemed suspicious. …My Lady, if you wish to go out again in the city, allow me to accompany you. You can send a servant for me, or often times find me in the practice yard," the red-head offered.

"You can call me Maria, when we're not at the palace, if you like. I know it's not proper, but you did save me... And you are very generous, but I do not wish to impose on you."

"Please. I'll worry about you, after what happened today. I'm not much company, but I can protect you."

She hesitated, thinking to refuse him a second time. She was already in his debt, after all. She opened her mouth, instead surprising herself by acquiescing, "Alright. Thank you." She was in need of friends here, and Akatsuki seemed both honest and kind, a combination of traits that she didn't want to pass by in a potential companion.

"Thank you." He gave her a smile, which she returned immediately. "Shall we head back to the palace?" he asked.

She glanced up at the sky, which was turning purple as the sun faded over the horizon, and nodded in agreement. She would most likely be late for supper, something Shizuka detested.

Taking a breath, Maria took the proffered arm of the Kain lord and allowed him to lead her back through the city and into the palace walls. The experience with the soldiers was still fresh on her mind, but having a knight beside her made her feel safe. She only wished that the citizens of Ashgate could feel as secure as she. Something had to change, and soon.

* * *

AN: Tobacco was around in South America during the medieval ages so...why not here? I have wooden clocks and ballistae in this fic so...why not... lol. In hindsight tho I really should have had Mari rescue her... Then maybe Maria could have helped the rebellion...not to mention a woman rescuing her- and a blacksmith at that- could have been epic. But as Maria and Akatsuki are friends later in the fic...it was a lot to change so I left it... I hope you don't mind...

Alsooo sorry I've been uploading so many fics lately -sweatdrop- I'll try to tone it down... -sneaks off-


	40. 40 Yori

**YORI**

Panic had at last fizzled out, to be replaced with a cold, clammy feeling of resignation which clung to her skin like dried sweat. When they had first been captured two days ago Yori had fought tooth and nail at every opportunity to free herself. It had been to no avail, despite the bruises she gave to several of Rei Touma's men and the black eye she gave to his Bloodguard, a fierce man named Yato. She had been desperate to rejoin Yuki, but now that the possibility had vanished, she was forced to accept her position as she would a particularly vile medicine. They would be at the Touma capital Drosera in another two or three days. Their capture had not deterred Rei's hunting trip, however, which he was determined to finish before returning home.

At present, she was securely tied with thick rope made out of the leathery, black vines that grew in the swamp. The knot had proved impossible for either her or Hanabusa to untie, although they had tried numerous times. Escape seemed an unattainable dream, and to hammer in this reality further, the pair was guarded by at least two men at all times. Naturally, their weapons had been confiscated, along with their other belongings. The gravity of the situation settled around her shoulders like a heavy cloak. They were hostages, plain and simple.

Yori shifted painfully, wincing as the rope chafed against the bandage around her knife wound. She supposed if there was a positive side to being captured, it was the medicine Rei and his men had provided to help her wound heal. Nevertheless, her skin was delicate and tender beneath the wrap, and the pressure of the rope was like a burning vice. Tying just her hands hadn't been enough after she'd given Yato his black eye, and her arms had therefore been fastened to her sides. She felt like a chicken, wings and feet bound to prevent it from escaping slaughter.

"This sucks," Hanabusa muttered from behind her. Rei had been ever so kind to leave them in the middle of a barren stretch of swamp while he hunted some more of the scaled lizards. One of the guards was sitting against a dead tree, the only indication that trees had ever grown in the immediate vicinity, but as for the pair of hostages, they had been forced to sit back-to-back for some measure of comfort.

"I don't have any more ideas." She sighed, stirring the mugginess of the swamp air with the exhalation of her breath. There was no breeze today and the afternoon was stagnant. The sun beat down on them from above with a vengeance.

"My father will not abandon us to our fate. We can rejoin Yuki at her uncle's in Sakaido." The blond knight leaned his head back against her shoulder, huffing out a sigh of his own.

"It's too hot," she complained in response to his action, feebly attempting to dislodge his head before she gave up. Her back in particular was drenched in sweat, but at least it was free from the bugs that roamed her limbs, face, and neck.

"This is no way to treat nobility," he muttered. "We deserve some measure of respect."

Yori shook her head slightly. "We may be nobility, but we are also outlaws, so to speak. We did betray the crown, from the public's perspective." As she said the words, her mind rejected them. She was not nobility... Even if her father had legitimized her, she had never considered herself to be highborn. She was only Yori, the bastard daughter of the Wakaba house.

"Lord Kaname is the traitor." His tone revealed a resentment that mirrored her own.

"But until we can prove it, we are the traitors."

A pause. The buzz of insect wings drowned out all thought for a moment. Far away, she heard a bird cry, the sound piercing the air like an arrow. A bead of sweat dripped down her face, where it dangled suspended from her chin for a long moment before dropping to her collarbone, where it rolled away beneath her clothes.

"You shouldn't have followed me," she finally whispered.

Hanabusa said nothing, but she felt his shoulder blades tense against her back. He sat up then, displacing her due to the difference in their height for a moment until she resettled herself against his back. Her muscles were stiff and she tried to stretch her legs. She could probably manage to stand, although walking was all but impossible as her ankles had been tied together as well.

The minutes passed, as hazy and hot as the day. When he finally spoke, she had almost forgotten her remark. That single word fell to the ground and evaporated immediately into the air.

"Idiot."

She bit her lip. He shouldn't have defended her. If he hadn't, he might be with Yuki now. Yuki was most important, after all...

Yori shut her eyes. The sun cut through her eyelids brutally, continuing to flood her eyes with light. She told herself that this was a temporary setback. Before long, she hoped to be with Yuki once more. Yuki was her dearest and only friend now, and Yori would not abandon her. She would not rest until it was Yuki who was seated on the throne, where she belonged.

A swarm of noise and movement caught her attention, and she reopened her eyes. Her hazel orbs alighted on a group of approaching men dressed in black and brown, sporting yet another lizard carcass. This one was a fair bit smaller than the others they had brought in, but the men were rejoicing all the same. Rei had puffed out his chest proudly, and she ascertained that it had been his kill this time.

"All hail Lord Rei-diculous," muttered Hanabusa under his breath, and Yori smothered a giggle, her lips twitching upward against her will.

The pair quieted as the young lord approached. Rei showed off his kill to the men he had left behind to guard them and took a few moments to drink some water. At last, much to Yori's dismay, he began making his way towards her and Hanabusa. The two hostages sat up squarely, shifting so that they might face the lord.

"My Lord, My Lady," Rei scoffed, kicking the blond knight's foot with a boot. "Have you enjoyed your afternoon?"

"Did you enjoy catching that fat newt?" the knight asked with fake cheerfulness, nodding with a jerk of his head to the lizard Rei had killed.

"Newt?!" the boy's eyes flashed with sudden rage. "You-" He stopped himself abruptly, though his eyes glimmered with spite. "I didn't come here to fight. Actually, I came to tell you both some absolutely wonderful news."

The sweat that rolled down the back of Yori's neck now seemed like the chill finger of cruel fate. From the boy's stance and attitude, she could already tell whatever news he bore would be anything but wonderful for her or Hanabusa.

The boy drew a wooden pendent out of a pouch attached to his belt, dangling it before Yori's eyes for a moment. "Recognize this?"

Yori's breath stilled. The pendent had been a gift from her father several years ago. It was simplistic, shaped like a leaf, bearing the tree symbol of their house. He had carved it himself. It was a small thing, but she treasured it almost above all of her other possessions.

"Oh, goody, you do," Rei giggled, snatching it back into the palm of his hand. "You know, I only went thoroughly through your things this morning before the hunt. I should have done it sooner, I guess. I didn't realize how lucky I was to find not only Hanabusa Aidou...but Sayori Wakaba as well." He smirked.

Yori swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. If he knew who she was, would he suspect everything, including her fake marriage to Hanabusa? Her heart began pounding wildly in her chest, its beat faster than the wings of the bugs around her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the knight's brow crease, jaw tightening and eyes squinting slightly in sudden tension.

Rei paced in front of them for a moment. When he stopped, he giggled again in amusement, grinning wildly. "I thought about it for a good deal of time this morning. Could it be true? Could Hanabusa Aidou and Sayori Wakaba really have wed to seal an alliance? At first, I thought it impossible. But now... I think you are telling the truth."

Her lungs were trembling. She had to remember to breathe. He believed them, somehow. Gradually, the strain eased out of her shoulders.

"It makes perfect sense. You're a very smart man, Lord Hanabusa. I respect smart men. You knew that if you married the sole surviving heir to the Wakaba name your family would be the one to own the Virid Wood. You're very clever."

What? Yori stared at him in bewilderment. Sole surviving heir? Did he not know that her siblings had escaped? That she was the heir but also a bastard? So many questions rolled around in her head, loose marbles that fled before her as she tried to collect them into coherency.

"I was a little upset at first," Rei admitted. "After all, my family is in the Wood now, fighting the Souens to claim it, and if an heir had survived we would both be pointlessly squabbling over nothing. But then it occurred to me. You see, I'm quite sure that nobody knows yet about your little matrimony. Except me. And whatever I say is truth. So all I have to do, you see, is say that Sayori is _my_ wife."

The words were digging their claws into her. Each sentence drove their blades slightly deeper. Her head was spinning. The Toumas and the Souens were fighting to take control of the Wood and Rei was determined to have her as his wife... Her mouth opened, and then closed again, as silent and helpless as a beached fish.

"And I will contest you," Hanabusa declared. "It will be my word against yours."

"Not exactly..." Rei's eyes lit up mischievously. "I've already considered the solution to my little predicament."

"What would that be?" Yori hissed, finding her voice at last.

"Well...maybe this is a slightly personal question, but...have you consummated this marriage?" Rei quirked his head, feigning interest. Immediately, he answered the question before either of the prisoners could. "Wait, don't answer that. I don't need to know, really. It matters so very little. I've already decided. Listen, this is truly brilliant. I'll gather as many witnesses as possible for our marriage, first... And Sayori, you will say yes... And afterwards... All I need are a few witnesses more for the consummation, no? And then it will be poor Hanabusa's word against, well, everyone else."

"I will _never_ agree to be your wife." Gathering up as much moisture as she could, she spit indignantly at his feet.

"Fortunately, you will. I have many resources at my disposal. If nothing else, I can condition you to say yes during the ceremony. Hypnosis isn't beyond my abilities."

"You little shit," Hanabusa growled. His eyes had gone cold, frigid shards of ice that froze the air between himself and the Touma lord.

"No need for insults. I'll make sure you go home to your daddy, and then I can start planning to move into my new summer home in the Virid Wood. It will be lovely."

"Even if you somehow force me to submit to your plan, my family only needs to declare one of my siblings as the new heir," Yori told him through grit teeth.

Rei looked at her in honest confusion, taken aback by her words. A moment later, however, he began to giggle again. She watched him with a veiled gaze, every nerve standing on end. She would stab him in his sleep if he tried to wed her. She did not see a boy standing before her, but a demon.

"You don't know, do you?" the small lord inquired. He glanced from side to side and bent close to her as if he were revealing a secret. Then, in a whisper loud enough that Hanabusa might hear as well, he said, "They're dead."

A wave of numbness crippled her limbs. No, her family had escaped. He couldn't know their fate...

"All of them," he continued. "Before the fighting broke out with the Souens, they were digging a mass grave for all the bodies. There are reports of a few odd survivors, but I'm afraid your little family didn't make it. If you don't believe me, I'll make it our honeymoon trip to see their grave."

The world had gone black. She was spiraling downward. Down, into nothingness, into oblivion. Comatose, she could barely feel the lord move away. His high-pitched laughter sounded a thousand miles away. The air she sucked into her lungs was encrusted with nails, clawing away her insides.

Within seconds, everything had been torn away from her again. Her home, her family, her heart. A strange, numbing sensation was rippling outward across her chest. Dead. The syllable rang through her mind like a funeral bell. The faces in the mist rose back into her mind. Their sickly pallor, the voids of their eyes, haunting her. She had seen their deaths in the fog of the swamp. Their bodies had been left to rot, discarded and buried along with dozens of others beneath the earth.

Dead.

Her sisters, her brother, they were so young, only children. They hadn't deserved this. They had done nothing wrong. Nothing, except smile, and laugh, and play... Their innocence had been murdered along with their flesh. She could see them running through the halls even now, turning back to shout at her to join them...

 _"Yori!"_ she heard her youngest sister exclaim in her memory, the notes of her name sweet and lilting.

She would never hear their voices again. Never.

The knowledge tore her apart like a thousand swords that had sliced through her in the same instant. She had not been able to protect them. Her chest was nothing more than an empty cavity now, scraped clean with the scalpel of death. If only she could go back, if only she could have traded her life for any one of theirs. For her brother's, for her sisters'... How could she continue living when her siblings did not? They were so young, so innocent... What had they done to deserve such a fate?

A static lullaby was playing through her mind, shutting everything into blackness. And yet her eyes remained dry. Her sorrow was so great that she did not know if she had any tears to shed. There was only the terrible truth that she was forced to accept: the family she had known and loved was dead.

* * *

 **AN:** Isn't that a lovely note to end on? Yay, death and despair! On a different note, tune in next week for the reveal of Kaien's greatest secrets. You can't miss next Monday's chapter!


	41. 41 Yuki

**AN:** Time for the big reveal!

* * *

 **YUKI**

Yuki's fingers tightened reflexively around Zero's as she regarded the man and woman before them who had appeared out of the mist. Beyond them, set back in a wide, flat, elevated area, was a large manor that she judged to belong to a lord or lady. However, there was no activity around the manor, and even the stable appeared likewise empty. Yuki had heard tales of Lady Sawako Touma's manor, which had been lost in the mist years ago, but she could scarcely believe that she had stumbled upon it by chance. Organized groups of Touma men and women had not been able to find this place despite months of effort.

"Expecting us?" Zero greeted the pair of strangers stiffly, releasing her hand, she knew, so that he could draw his sword if need be.

"There's no need to be wary," the woman reassured him instantly. "We are allies."

"Allies. We have no allies here," the knight responded, suspicious.

"We were allies of your adopted father," the man said in an almost bored tone, nodding to Yuki.

Her eyes widened. Friends of Kaien? She had never met them, though. She was sure that she would have remembered them if she had. Their faces were unfamiliar and beautiful, but strange; their eyes seemed almost to be dipped in blue starlight. Her natural instinct was to trust them, but their peculiarity warned her that perhaps she should not.

"Do you know them?" Zero asked her then.

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

"I'm Rima," the blonde woman introduced herself.

"And I am Senri," the man added.

"You would not know us, but we wish to aide to your quest," Rima continued.

"To regain the throne," Senri finished the thought.

Zero refused to let down his guard, however. Yuki, too, felt that their appearance was suspicious at best. This could be a trap, set in place by Kaname who may have predicted their movements. There was no way to know for certain.

"I'm sorry, forgive us," Yuki finally spoke. "But we are wary of all strangers. How do we know that we can trust you?"

To her dismay, Senri shrugged. Rima appeared to be considering the question, but after exchanging a glance with her companion she seemed to reach the same conclusion. "I'm afraid we have no evidence of our loyalties," she apologized. "Certainly, we have a few tokens from your adopted father, but I doubt this would convince your knight..."

"Tokens?" Yuki asked curiously.

Rima bobbed her head once in a short nod, the sunbeams reflecting golden light off her hair. "A sword. And a letter for you and your knight, Princess. It is sealed with King Kaien's seal…"

That was enough to convince Yuki. There was no way to know for certain that the strangers were trustworthy, but she could not be so cautious of everyone. This was a gamble she was willing to take.

Taking a small breath, she began, ignoring the warning look that Zero shot her, "Very well. I'm-"

"Yes, we know who you are. We have been expecting you for quite some time now." Rima gestured for them to follow her and Senri into the sprawling manor.

"How?" Yuki asked, brow furrowing. Had they tracked them through the marsh or something else?

"Senri had a vision," the golden haired woman told them simply.

A vision? Yuki shook her head slightly in disbelief. Only seers could have visions, and from what she had learned growing up there were very few seers left in the world. At least, there were few seers whose names were known. But being a seer would mean that Senri at the very least possessed some form of magic...

"I believe you were traveling with others?" the mahogany haired man asked as they stepped through the door.

Yuki took a moment to look around the foyer curiously. Inside, the manor was dark and cool and completely lifeless. Strangely, however, there was not a trace of dust coating the artwork that decorated the walls or the sculpture of a young man playing a piano that stood in the middle of the foyer. As Zero and Yuki followed the pair of strangers, their footsteps echoed eerily, as though creating a rhythm for ghosts. They ascended a curved marble staircase that led upward to the second floor of the manor, and still Yuki could not glean the slightest hint of human life apart from Rima and Senri.

"Yes," Yuki affirmed. "We were traveling with my other Bloodguard Hanabusa Aidou and my friend Sayori Wakaba, but there was a horrible fog..." she trailed off, shivering as she thought of the ghost of her adopted father, which had peered at her with bleeding eyes from the mists.

"Ah..." Senri hesitated, exchanging a look with Rima. "I'm afraid that is our fault... The fog protects us from those who would seek us out to do us harm. Only those who have our express permission to enter can find their way through it."

"As for your friends...I'm afraid it will be some time before you are reunited with them," Rima murmured, as the group reached the top of the stairs, which opened up to a spacious hall lined with rooms. At the end of the hall, a set of wide glass doors led out to a balcony. As with the foyer, this hall was empty as well. Yuki did not ask where its former inhabitants had gone, though she felt a shiver travel down her spine.

Rima's mahogany haired companion nodded, "It will be a great deal of time before you see either of them again, but I assure you, one day you will indeed reunite."

"A great deal of time..." Yuki echoed, heart falling in her chest.

"Don't fear, at times Senri's sense of time is inaccurate. Perhaps it will be sooner than you think." Rima led them down a hallway, pausing before adding, "There is much that you do not know, but that you must. Your late adopted father, King Kaien, once made us swear that we would aid and protect you should the need ever arise. And that we would tell you anything that he had not been able to."

"What do you mean?" Yuki inquired, puzzled. What was there to tell? She knew about her parents' deaths, the circumstances under which Kaien had ascended the throne. After all, although Rido had been the eldest, a murderer would never be permitted to become king... So, what else would there be to tell?

The group entered what seemed to be a study. Rima and Senri led them to a large wooden chest carved with floral loops and swirls. The room held a desk and several shelves of books, as well as a low, circular table surrounded by cushions. Once again, Yuki noted the absence of dust. It was as though the manor were staffed by ghost servants. She could scarcely envision Rima and Senri cleaning the entire manor themselves.

"In there." Senri motioned for her to open the chest.

Hesitantly, Yuki knelt, unlatching the heavy iron hinges that held the box closed. She lifted the lid, not sure what she expected to find within. Inside the chest, however, was exactly what Rima had described: a single envelope resting on a long item, which she assumed to be the sword, wrapped in white velvet.

"We'll give you some privacy," Rima told her, and the pair slipped out of the study as silently as specters before Zero or Yuki could respond.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Yuki reached into the chest, pulling out the singular envelope. The wax seal on the back was familiar, displaying the thorn pattern of the Kuran royal house. Impatiently, she slit the side of the envelope with her nail and pulled out the paper it held within.

Immediately, she recognized the scrawl of her adopted father's handwriting, with the oversized capital letters, the diagonal slant of his lines. She tasted a bittersweet smile against her lips, her heart squeezing as she remembered again how he was lost to her now. Rather than find a seat at the desk or amongst the cushions, she settled down right where she was, eyes greedily taking in the words.

 _My dearest Yuki,_

 _If you are reading this letter, it most likely means that I have passed away. I had hoped to tell you all that these pages contain myself, but I want to be sure that you will hear, or read, them from me. There are few that know the secrets I will detail to you here._

 _First, I want to say that I love you with all of my heart. You may not be my daughter by blood, but you are my precious child. Yuki, you are the treasure of my life. Watching you grow up has brought me more joy than I have ever known before. As I write this, you are still young, but before my eyes you are blooming into a beautiful, courageous young woman. I could not be prouder of you. I'm sure you will make a remarkable queen for the Nine Kingdoms one day._

 _I'm sorry that you cannot hear these words from me, so that I might answer all of your questions. First and foremost, I want to assure you that Senri Shiki and Rima Touya are dear friends of mine. As you might already have surmised, Senri is a Seer. A few months ago, he came to me with a vision predicting my early death. He could not say where, or when, but only that it would be the result of treachery. I'm sure I have made many enemies in my time, Yuki. It does not surprise me that I will be betrayed, but I am worried for you. As for Rima, she is a Druid, a magical people who have remained hidden throughout the Kingdoms for as long as history remembers. The Druids are devoted to maintaining the health of the land and the people, as well as preserving the knowledge of magic._

 _This brings me to the most important secret you must know. Long ago, it was not the Kuran family who sat the throne, but the Kiryuus._

Yuki put down the letter for a moment, eyes widening. Her teachers at the castle had never taught her that. What they had taught her, instead, was that prior to the Kuran rule there had been, in their words, _'many other rulers.'_ However, their names had never been disclosed. Why had the Kiryuus been edited out of history so thoroughly? She frowned, brow creasing, and returned to the letter.

 _The Kiryuus, like the Hios today, have_ inherited magic _. That is to say, magic that is passed down through the families. Strangely, strong physical and magical prowess have always had an inverse relationship with this kind of magic. The stronger the body, the weaker the magic, and vice versa. Zero, as I'm sure you will notice, is very strong physically. He does not have the magic capacity that many of his ancestors did, although I have noted that he does heal much faster than others, and endure much… This is different from the magic that Senri or Rima possess._

 _Our family, the Kurans, feared magic. We did not understand it and thus were always opposed to the Kiryuu reign. And then, about 150 years ago from what I can gather, the Kurans staged a revolt, unified many of the great houses, and seized power from the Kiryuus, sending them to exile alongside their Hio cousins, where their village would still stand today if it weren't for the tragedy that killed nearly all of their kind._

 _The truth has long been lost to history, but one of the reasons I brought Zero into our home is because, to the best of my knowledge, he is the last of his people. Regardless of his parentage, Yuki, he is the rightful king and heir to the Nine Kingdoms._

Yuki sucked in a sharp breath, stunned. Zero was royalty? The words were swimming before her eyes. Had Kaname known about the Kiryuus? Could it be, perhaps, that he had targeted Zero because he feared the knight's claim to the throne? She needed time to think, to process everything the late king revealed. For now, she returned to reading the letter.

 _I did not bring Zero for only this reason. His powerful bloodline makes him a strong ally and a skilled fighter. I knew he would protect you well. He does not know the secret of his heritage, and as this letter is addressed to you, Yuki, it falls upon your shoulders to share it with him, if you choose to do so. The Kiryuu legacy has not vanished entirely from our memories. I'm sure that many high lords such as myself are still aware of this secret. Therefore, if you decide to act on this knowledge, you may be able to convince other great houses to join you._

 _Finally, Yuki, there is one last thing which I have wanted to tell you for a while now. That is, that I, too am not all that I seem. I am not a true member of your family or your bloodline. Your grandfather, my father, was not faithful to his wife. My mother is not a member of the Kuran family. She is, like Zero, a Kiryuu, and I am a bastard son who by chance inherited the throne because of the terrible murder your uncle committed. Perhaps I rescued Zero, as well, because I felt a kinship with him._

 _I have not told you these things yet, because I am waiting for you to come of age. Then, you will be able to decide how you want to use this information. However, if I am unable to do so, I am sorry. I had hoped that I would be around to see you wed and seated on the throne. As long as you are smiling, Yuki, it will be enough for me. Even if I am not around to see it any longer, promise me that you'll keep smiling. I will not always be there for you, but I will always, always love you as the daughter I never had. One day I hope that we will be reunited in whatever comes after this life._

 _-Kaien Kuran_

 _Additionally, Yuki, I am leaving an old Kiryuu heirloom for Zero. I had it sharpened and polished. Please see that he receives it._

 _Also, from now on call me "Daddy!"_

Yuki sniffled, hot tears streaking down her face to stain the paper that she held in her hands. She felt the weight of Zero's palm against her shoulder and immediately turned, putting her arms around his neck and leaning into the familiar, comforting warmth of his body. She wanted him to hold her right now, as she cried again for the father that had so cruelly been taken from her.

Zero stiffened against her at first, his initial reaction whenever she got too close, but then slowly responded by wrapping his arms around her, letting her stay against him without complaint. She pushed her face into the crook of his neck, trembling in an effort to keep from sobbing harder. Her heart was terribly full. Finally, she felt as though she had a little closure, a little acceptance for her adopted father's death. She had yearned to speak to him one last time, and even if it was only a letter, at least she had a semblance of that opportunity given to her.

Abruptly, she loosened her hold on the knight, sitting back on her heels and wiping away her tears with the hand that wasn't clutching the letter. He let her go without resistance, violet eyes clouded over at the sight of her tears. The tightness in her chest spasmed again, eyes scanning over his avidly. Zero Kiryuu, the man she impossibly loved, was not such an impossible love anymore. Though she knew if she were to tell him her feelings now, he might believe it was only because of the knowledge divulged in the letter, even if she had loved him for far, far longer than that… And, even if she did tell him, he might not return her feelings. That had not changed.

"Zero, you need to read this." She extended the papers to him. She could not tell him she loved him just yet, but he still needed to know the truth.

He shook his head. "The letter is for you."

She was adamant, however. "It's important. Daddy said I could show you if I wanted to, because he talks about your history." It felt good to call her adopted father that, out loud. She had always wanted to anyway, despite knowing it wouldn't be proper.

"I don't care about my history," the silver-haired man said brusquely.

"Please?" she insisted, proffering the papers again.

Zero sighed, taking the letter from her hand. She smiled victoriously as his eyes scanned the words King Kaien had written, not so long ago. He needed to know this, that he was not a peasant, or a commoner, or only a knight. No, he was a prince and the only true heir to the throne. Though Zero had never been just a knight to her, anyway…

Thinking back to the contents of the letter, Yuki couldn't help but feel guilty over what her ancestors had done. She didn't want to be ashamed of her name, but the Kuran family had a dark history, and even today many of her relations were less than virtuous. There was her cousin, Kaname, for one, and his father Rido for another, although she hoped that Rido could be persuaded to join her cause. She didn't need to reveal Zero's identity to him just yet.

The papers rustled, thrust suddenly back into her hands. Zero's face had closed off, as dark and foreboding as the thick purple clouds that came just before a storm. His eyes had walled off, hard marbles of a violet so deep as to nearly be indigo.

"This changes nothing," he growled.

Yuki hesitated. She knew that Zero most likely felt he was not worthy of such a heritage, but his feelings did not alter the truth. Convincing him that he deserved his sudden elevation in status and this unexpected claim to the throne would not be easy, though.

"You're right," she agreed instead, folding the letter and putting it into one of the pouches attached to her belt. "It doesn't actually change anything. Zero is still Zero, after all." Her lips curved upwards. "You have always been very important to me."

Zero reproached her with his gaze, though some of the stiffness seeped from his expression upon hearing her words.

"I will say… I never felt particularly royal, and it may be easier for the great houses to back us if it's a man who will sit on the throne…." She glanced at him pointedly.

"No." The clouds returned to his eyes.

She sighed. "Let's at least look at Daddy's gift for you."

For a moment, it seemed like the knight might refuse. And then, fortunately, his resistance died down. He said nothing, but did not protest as she reached into the chest and pulled out the wrapped object.

"It's heavy," she complained, struggling a little under the weight of it.

The silver-haired man took it from her easily, and she removed the velvet to reveal what was indeed a sword, although the blade was covered by a leather scabbard. The sheath that the blade rested in was of exquisite design. The leather had been dyed silver, painted with the bloody purple roses that characterized the Kiryuu emblem. The hilt of the blade was simple silver, but at the end of the pommel the metal had been shaped into a rose, which dripped red paint down the hilt. When Zero pulled the sword a few inches out of its sheath, she could see that the metal the blade was fashioned from was unlike any she had ever seen. The metal was almost translucent, shimmering even in the dim light that streamed through the nearby window. Entranced, Yuki watched as Zero freed the blade entirely, moving the blade back and forth through the light.

"What is that?" Yuki asked in awe.

Zero shook his head, clearly at a loss, when Senri's voice answered her, "Vel vitrum."

Yuki turned as Rima and Senri entered the room. Rima explained further, "It's a metal imbued with magic. Once, it was made by the Kiryuus."

"It is sharper than any other metal," the mahogany-haired man told them.

The blade disappeared with a hiss back into the scabbard.

Curious, Yuki inquired, "Is it true then? Everything Dad-my adopted father says? That the Kiryuus once ruled?"

Rima nodded. "The Kiryuu rule was not a short one. In fact, for hundreds of years the Kiryuus were the best in the world at almost everything, and then..."

"And then they weren't," Senri finished.

It was undoubtedly true then. Yuki stole a glance at Zero, but the knight remained impassive.

"I had a vision, Princess. Of your arrival. Of strange things to come. I cannot say what they mean." Senri frowned. "Only that the future holds much conflict…"

"But you are hungry," Rima surmised, as Yuki's stomach protested loudly, much to her chagrin. "Come."

Senri and Rima gestured for the pair to follow. Yuki flushed, hiding her stomach under her hand in embarrassment, and tugged at Zero's sleeve. The knight replaced the sword in the chest and closed the lid, falling behind her as they exited the study and descended the curved staircase once again.

Yuki was momentarily distracted from the contents of the letter by her physical discomfort. The thought of food had made her realize how hungry she was. Later, she would concentrate on the difficult task of getting Zero to accept his lineage and status.

* * *

 **AN:** So. You definitely wanna review this chapter, right? Esp now that we have 2 more potential heirs to the throne... (Think about it...)


	42. 42 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

Hanabusa dropped heavily to the ground as soon as the hunting party called a halt. He had been walking behind one of the horses since dawn and the heat was punishing. His lips were dried and cracked and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He could not remember the last time he had a drink. Not far to his right, he saw that Yori had wilted to the ground as well and felt a resurgence of his former anger. Hostile blue eyes flashed to Rei Touma. To treat a high lord such as Hanabusa Aidou in this manner was an insult. To treat a noble lady this way was a crime. If he ever managed to undo the ropes that bound him, his first act would be to strangle the little monster.

Touma's men were dismounting now. One of the men untied his rope from the saddle of the horse before doing the same for Yori. Although the men were watching them closely, they seemed a little less concerned than they had been previously that the pair might escape. Certainly, all of the fight had gone out of Yori after hearing her family had died. As for himself, even if he could find the strength to run, he wasn't prepared to leave her with the Toumas. He scowled, watching the hunting party with hooded eyes. He was exhausted and thirsty, but if an opportunity presented itself he wouldn't hesitate to lash out against his captors.

The men passed around a canteen. Hanabusa watched with jealous eyes, feeling himself swallow dryly on reflex. When was the last time he had tasted water…? Coughing, he distracted himself from the aching thirst by sluggishly working his way towards Yori. The girl barely acknowledged his presence. Her gaze was fixated on a flying insect that crawled across her leg, although he wasn't sure she actually saw it. She was lost somewhere far from here, somewhere in her mind, and he wondered if she was just as thirsty there as he was in the real world.

Now that the party had stopped to rest, Rei Touma couldn't resist the opportunity to torment them. A canteen appeared in Hanabusa's field of vision. The boy shook it, and the knight heard the contents slosh around inside. His throat tightened again in response, mouth numbingly dry, and his jaw clenched as he sought not to show his discomfort.

"You thirsty?" the boy asked, taking a long swig of the canteen. Some of the water spilled out to the ground. His eyes followed the drops as they sunk into the ground, wasted and unattainable.

Hanabusa could not get his tongue to move to respond. It was cemented to his mouth, immovable. Beside him, Yori stared wistfully at the canteen. Finally, she had been snapped out of her daze, if only for a moment.

Rei giggled. "If I laced this water with poison, you'd still drink it if I gave it to you, wouldn't you? You wouldn't be able to help yourself. Your survival instinct would kill you. It's both ironic and hilarious."

There weren't enough ways to imagine killing or humiliating this child. Even after days of running through mental scenarios, Hanabusa didn't feel quite satisfied. This kid was more disgusting than a cockroach.

"I shouldn't make my bride-to-be suffer too much, though. I don't want her too dry for our wedding night, after all…" He sneered gleefully.

Hanabusa grit his teeth. He would start with castration. Simply killing the demon would be too merciful. And Rei Touma definitely shouldn't be reproducing.

"We'll be at Drosera in a few hours and I'm sure my father won't object to holding the wedding tonight. Every day we spend fighting with the Souens we lose precious resources, so the sooner we announce our marriage, the better. Lord Hanabusa, I'll even let you be a witness to our happy union."

The boy paused and tossed the canteen to another of his men. "I shouldn't beat an opponent when he's down. My mother taught me not to throw stones at cripples." He smirked down at the blond knight. "But my father taught me, aim for their head." Rei gestured to his comrade, "Give them some water."

When the man passed over the canteen, it was given first to Yori, who had finally been permitted some use of her limbs. Her hands were still bound together, but she was at least able to drink. Then the water passed to Hanabusa, who greedily consumed what was left. Never before had simple water tasted so good. The man, seeming to take pity on them, gave them some water from his own canteen. This they drank more slowly, and gradually Hanabusa felt his mouth loosen enough that he could speak again.

"Thank you," he told the huntsman in a hoarse voice.

The man gave a brusque nod and moved away quickly before Rei could see. The blond knight cleared his throat, which still felt scratchy but far better than it had only moments ago.

Moving a little closer to Yori, he leaned over to whisper, "We're running out of time. We need to think of a way to escape. I don't think we can trust the mercy of Rei's father."

"I don't care what he does to me anymore," the auburn-haired girl murmured lifelessly, her hazel eyes dead and shallow.

Hanabusa stiffened in outrage. Did Yori really understand what she was saying? Rei wasn't going to stop after he wed her. No, she would be condemned to spend the rest of her life with the demon. Who knew what he would do to her when he grew bored. Far worse things than what the knight could imagine, he was sure.

"How can you say that?" he demanded, brows slashing together across his forehead, indignant.

"It is always the innocents who suffer when you high lords play your game of thrones," she replied dully. "My family was innocent… They paid the price for their innocence."

"And more innocents will suffer if you marry Rei. What about the rest of your people?" He did not want to think about living under Rei's authority indefinitely.

Yori shook her head slightly, expression sad beyond words. "At least they'll have peace…and a leader…"

He snorted. "Rei Touma? You have to be joking. He won't let your people live in peace." No, more likely he'd use them for his sadistic little games…

"I failed them. They deserve far better than I could give them." She lifted resigned eyes to meet his, her gaze seeming to physically touch him with the sorrow they reflected.

The knight ground his teeth together in frustration. She was shutting out his words. "Not yet you haven't. But if you give up your right to the Wood and leave them to the Toumas, you will. The Wakabas will never govern a kingdom again if you let that happen. The deaths of your people and your family will be meaningless."

He searched her eyes, imploring. Surely, somewhere, there was a spark that he could ignite in her. She had to fight. Her spirit could not be broken just yet. If she gave up now, it was truly over, and he would be forced to leave her here in this forsaken swamp as a plaything for a monstrous child-lord. He formulated the question gently but firmly, "Is this what your family would have wanted you to choose?"

Her gaze plummeted back to the ground. No, he answered for her in his head, this is not what her family would have wanted for her. Yori's fingers twitched, but she said nothing. Her lips were pressed together tightly, offering him nothing, though he knew she could not block him out of her ears.

"If you had the chance to give your people and your family justice, wouldn't you take it?" he asked, waiting impatiently for her answer the instant he had uttered the final syllable.

Her head jerked back upward, eyes desperate as she whispered desolately, "Of course! But this is the only way that I can think of that will help them."

"It's not. Don't give up yet. You can avenge them, you can seek justice for the countless murders Kaname committed by attacking The Vale by helping Yuki, and you can rebuild all that you lost. I know that Yuki will do all that she can to help you. As will I, and Zero. Together the four of us can right so many wrongs that have been done. But not if you give up on us now. Not if you agree to stay here with the Toumas and renounce the opportunity for justice…"

"How..? Do you have a plan?" At last, he saw the flickering of hope and determination return to her face.

He cursed at himself mentally. Truthfully, he had no idea of how they could possibly thwart Rei. He wasn't sure why he needed Yori to believe, to fight. Perhaps it was because if someone as strong and willful as Sayori Wakaba was defeated, the situation truly seemed impossible, and Hanabusa did not like to admit defeat. Surely, there must be a way that he had not thought of yet, something subtle…

For the time being, he lied. If he allowed her spirit to dampen again, he wasn't sure it would be able to recover a second time.

So he said, "I think so. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got."

"What should I do?" came the obvious question.

"Follow my lead," he replied, mind speeding rapidly through all possible solutions. There had to be something he was missing. Anything. He was a genius. Surely he could think his way out of this mess.

"Okay," she agreed, gifting him with a small though genuine, beautiful smile.

That smile pierced right through his heart. He was almost assuredly going to let her down, and she would never forgive him. Once more, his rash behavior had terrible consequences. He shut his eyes, concentrating. Touma's men were armed, with horses. The only way to possibly outrun them would be on horseback… But how could two weary, hungry prisoners not only escape their bonds but also steal a horse or two…?

His thoughts were cut short, however, as Rei signaled that they would be moving on again and the hunting part began to prepare for departure. It seemed time was not on his side today, and he had very little of it left before they arrived in Drosera. There, he knew, he would have to give up the fight.

Before they were forced back to their feet, Hanabusa nudged the Wakaba girl with his shoulder, hoping to cheer her up a little further. When he had her attention, he grinned and told her, "C'mon, Lord Reivolting has given an order."

A second smile twitched to life on her lips.

"He's absolutely Reipugnant," he added, unable to help himself.

She giggled this time. "I guess you really Reisent him."

"Well, he Reiks."

From the corner of his eye, Hanabusa saw that the men whose horses they had walked behind were now standing. In another minute or so they would be moving again, and the knight would lose all the necessary moisture his mouth required for talking. The positive, he supposed, was that he had barely been hydrated enough to sweat, and the insects had swarmed mostly around Touma's men as a result.

"We'll find a way out of this," he assured her with a confidence he did not feel. He reached out, touching his fingertips to hers.

"I trust you," she answered, twining her fingers through his for a moment before the men forced them to their feet.

He hoped he did not betray that trust. Nevertheless, as the group began walking again, he could not see a future which didn't end in tragedy for Sayori. Unlike the Virid Wood, the Brackmire Basin was relatively flat and offered little cover. If they were to try to run, it would be all too easy to hunt them down and either kill them or recapture them. Although, he supposed it would delay the inevitable for a little while, at least.

When they had first been captured, he had been focused on escaping as soon as possible so that they might rejoin Yuki and Zero. Now, that possibility was gone. Even if they were to get away from Rei, he doubted they would meet the princess and her knight along the road. Their best hope was to regroup in Seagate. More likely, Rei would keep him prisoner until his father was able to retrieve him for a ransom, and by then it might be impossible to save Yori.

The blond lord sighed. Although he might be willing to go to war to rescue Yori and humiliate Rei Touma, his father wouldn't be. And, if that was the path he took, both he and Yori would have to continue the lie that they had married in secret. If he was being honest, the idea didn't seem terrible to him. He knew he would be lucky to marry a woman half as smart, brave, and lovely as Sayori Wakaba. And Yori really was the first woman he had been attracted to who could keep up a conversation, or that didn't bore him immediately. He rolled his eyes, thinking of some of the noble ladies at the court in Ashgate. Ruka Souen, in particular, was the embodiment of exactly what he feared he'd end up marrying someday. But he couldn't do that to Yori. Even if it would save her from Touma, he would never force her to a marriage she didn't want.

He was stuck. Worse, he was no closer to an escape plan than he had been ten minutes ago. The group, however, was ten minutes closer to Drosera. He could practically hear the sand falling into the bottom of the hourglass, warning him that soon it would be too late.

 _Think. Think._ His brain was not cooperating.

Moments passed, trickling by like thorns. The road was long and the sun was climbing even higher into the sky. He loathed each and every footstep. Gradually, he could feel the familiar thirst returning, slowing his thoughts even further as though with a dam.

It wasn't until they came to a stop in the afternoon for a quick meal that Hanabusa had his chance. It was midday, as evidenced by the crushing weight of the overhead sun, and the party of hunters was hungry. As Hanabusa and Yori's strength declined, and as they neared Drosera, the hunters became increasingly less watchful of their prisoners. Now, anxious to eat, they left both nobles as they were, ropes tied to the saddles of the horses. They were so eager to eat, in fact, that they did not bother to give water to either of the captives, although Hanabusa supposed Rei would see to it that they at least got a few mouthfuls before continuing on.

The men began unpacking rations, and Hanabusa gradually worked his way towards the horse to which he was tied. He could probably jump on its back and ride away, but he wasn't certain if Yori would be quick enough to follow, and the hunters would most definitely give chase. And unfortunately, they knew the area far, far better than he. So, rather than leave his fate entirely to chance, he stealthily untied the other end of the rope from the saddle, and then waited for the child lord to come within reach.

As the hunters passed back and forth, it became apparent that the lordling would not fall into his trap. The boy remained near to his horse and let his men ready the meal for him, obviously more than content to wait. The blond knight frowned, taking stock of the situation and evaluating who would be his next best target.

He was in luck. Rei's bloodguard, Yato, passed by an arm's length away. Hanabusa's muscles tensed. He waited a split second more, and then lunged, grabbing the guard from behind and looping the rope around his neck, immediately tightening it as far as he could. The guard clawed at the rope, thrashing around to the best of his abilities, but Hanabusa held tight. Yato was far stronger than Hanabusa, as the Aidou lord had not had a proper meal, rest, or even much water for days now, but his attack had come unexpectedly and the adrenaline that shot through his veins bolstered his body's meager resources immensely.

His action caused the rest of the men to draw their weapons, coming closer until Hanabusa shot them a warning look, pulling hard at the rope around Yato's neck once the man had lost some of his momentum. Rei was scowling, expression livid with anger, and pushed to the front of his men.

"Release my Bloodguard," the child commanded.

"No. You release Sayori Wakaba, and I'll spare his life," the knight demanded, maintaining the pressure to Yato's throat as the man fell to his knees, his resistance becoming weaker as he fought to breathe.

Rei laughed mirthlessly, surprised. "You think you're in a position to make demands? Release my guard or suffer the consequences."

"I swear I'll kill him if you don't release her," he insisted, tightening the rope further. The poor Bloodguard's face was turning purple.

Rei folded his arms, giggling loudly this time. "This is most amusing. I think I rather like you as my prisoner. Well, go on then, kill him." That said, the lord turned away, clearly intending to eat his lunch as Hanabusa strangled the Touma lord's sworn Bloodguard.

"I'm not bluffing."

"I'm counting on it," Rei replied gleefully, turning back to face the knight for a moment. "What kind of knight would you be if you went back on your word? You're honor-bound to kill him now. So get on with it."

Flabbergasted, Hanabusa could only stand, suffocating a man he had no real quarrel with. How could any high lord be so cold, so dismissive of the life of his Bloodguard? As much as he hated to admit it, Rei was right. He had sworn to kill this man. And once the guard had fallen lifelessly to the ground, Hanabusa did not know what Rei had in store for him. He would be forced to watch another failed escape attempt crumble around him.

And then, abruptly, the swamp came to life around them. The very waters themselves thrust upwards, and without warning a crossbow bolt lodged itself in the stomach of one of Touma's men. The horses, startled, neighed nervously. One bucked, kicking one of the hunters to the ground, and the swamp rose up to plunge an iron sword through his stunned body.

Startled, Hanabusa realized that the assailants were camouflaged men and women, no more than eight or so, from the looks of them. Most likely they were bandits who had seen an opportunity to attack when Hanabusa had distracted the hunting party. Touma and his men dismounted rapidly and drew their weapons, at a disadvantage on horseback given the terrain and the heavy loads the horses carried. As they engaged their opponents, the knight ducked out of the way as a second bolt flew past, abandoning Yato, who had long since passed into unconsciousness and most likely death. The knight was a sitting duck if he remained here, hands still tied together.

"Rei Touma!" he shouted, "Untie me! If I die, what's the point?"

The lordling ignored him. The knight struggled with the ropes that bound him, to no avail. Quickly, he turned towards Yori, who he saw had untied herself from the horse she had been bound to while he had kept Touma and his men otherwise engaged. She ran towards him and fumbled to remove his bonds. He could hear the clash of steel and a few shouts around him and saw several bodies on the ground, both bandit and huntsmen alike. He turned his attention back to Yori as he felt the ropes fall away. His wrists stung as circulation returned. He winced, rotating his wrists and flexing his fingers before hurrying to loosen Yori's bonds as well.

In a rush, he removed the ropes that bound her wrists, although with difficulty. The pins and needles in his hands hindered his grip. Soon, however, she was free; grimacing along with him from sudden increased blood flow through her fingers.

Not wasting even a second of their good fortune, he grabbed the reins of the horse that held their weapons. Two or three of the beasts had already fled, but this one had not. The fight was raging around them in a flurry of swords and blood. Even if someone noticed their departure and wished to stop them, they would be too occupied with defending their own lives to prevent it.

In a single motion, he put his foot into the saddle and swung himself up onto the horse. In another motion, he had pulled Yori up behind him. And with a flick of the reins they were galloping away from the battle.

 _Good Reiddance,_ he thought.

* * *

 **AN:** Darn you people who knew they'd escape! -shakes fist!- hehehe. But you know, I was feeling like Yori had suffered enough at the moment so... Review! Or should I say...Rei-view? -FLEEZ-


	43. 43 Maria

**MARIA**

Once again, Maria found herself wishing that she had a greater talent for magic. If she could freeze time, she could keep the chain of events which drove her further and further apart from Ichiru from continuing. Kaname had proposed that they feast in honor of Shizuka and Ichiru's ever-approaching wedding and Maria was already thinking of a million excuses that might allow her to escape witnessing the event. The last thing she wanted to do was celebrate. But, regardless of her wishes, the wedding was an unstoppable force which gained in momentum with every passing day. Before she knew it, it would be upon her.

Despondent, Maria concentrated her energy on brushing Shizuka's long, silky white hair. It was a tradition that they had kept for many years now. As always, Shizuka relayed to her the gossip of the day while Maria tended the woman's hair, although today the ritual took place in front of the vanity in the rooms Kaname had given Lady Hio rather than her chambers back at Sakura Hall. Maria had not gone to court this morning, as she had been feeling particularly ill, and so her cousin was the one to supply her with the day's events.

Shizuka chuckled, leaning back in the plush recliner and admiring her reflection with satisfaction. "Poor Kaname, he is losing control of the city and just today Lord Ouri Shirabuki sent him a…quite unforgettable gift."

Maria's brows rose slightly. "Is he actually attempting to maintain control at all?"

The older Hio lady shrugged lightly. "It matters little."

"And the gift?" Maria asked curiously.

To her surprise, her cousin laughed richly, more amused than Maria had seen her in a long time. "It was splendid. A bloody envelope, containing Lord Takuma Ichijou's hair and a severed finger bearing the ring of his house."

Maria's eyes widened at the gruesome news. What was Lord Ouri hoping to gain aside from a potential war? Was Takuma Ichijou dead, then?

"Was there anything else?" the silver-haired girl inquired, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"No, that was all. It seems our dear King has been utterly refused. He had sent Lord Takuma to potentially work out marriage details, but it seems the kingdom must wait longer for a queen." Lady Hio leaned forward for a moment, examining the lines of her scarlet lipstick with care.

"If that is their response, perhaps it's best a Shirabuki doesn't sit on the throne," Maria mused with a shiver.

"Indeed." Shizuka nodded, lips curved upwards as proof of her continued amusement.

Maria returned to her task, gently running the brush through her cousin's luxurious, straight hair. The girl would have preferred to return home, now. The capital was a violent and unwelcoming place ruled by the corrupt and the city that surrounded it was falling increasingly into chaos and discontent. Moreover, nothing was familiar here. Maria longed only to return to the snow-covered mountains where she had been raised. If she closed her eyes, she could almost envision herself there, soaring just below the clouds, the chill, bitter wind ruffling her feathers…

But despite her dreams, Maria was not an owl. She could not fly home as she pleased. No, instead she was confined here, helpless and alone. Ichiru felt like a stranger now, after walling himself off to all the world except his future bride. Maria had not made friends with the other noble ladies, either, and so passed her days in solitude. The only friendly face in the palace was that of Akatsuki Kain, who was often busy training with the knights or passing time with his beloved Ruka or stern uncle Nagamichi Aidou, who still remained in the capital.

Maria rather liked Lord Aidou, although she was intimidated by him as well. He was a brusque, callous man with no patience, but he presented a powerful, threatening figure that generally caused King Kaname a great deal of discomfort or trouble. Maria knew that Nagamichi's patience was growing very thin, and she knew that his threats to declare war on the capital if Kaname did not return his son were not idle ones.

"There's more," Shizuka said, turning in her chair to remove the brush from Maria's hands.

Maria waited, disliking the malevolent glitter that flickered just beneath the surface of her cousin's eyes. It was a look that the girl had seen often, and it rarely boded well for her.

"Thanks to my quick work, I have succeeded in establishing a potential alliance with a powerful family." With graceful fingers sporting salmon-pink nails, Shizuka arranged the brush beside her other toiletries on the vanity.

"The Toumas are an ambitious family," Lady Hio smirked. "The Touma heir, Rei, is young still, but his father knows the importance of a good match for him, even at his age. Allying with the Toumas will help to secure our power and influence, particularly here in the capital. Tomorrow morning, I'm sending you to Drosera to seal our new alliance."

"I thought you were marrying Ichiru?" Maria questioned, hope suddenly blazing in her chest. Could it be that Shizuka had reconsidered? That perhaps the situation was not so futile after all?

"Of course I am, don't be dense," her cousin scolded. " _You_ will be marrying Lord Rei."

The blaze of hope sputtered out totally, utterly. Crushing horror dropped sickeningly down against her chest. She was to marry Lord Rei? _Lord Rei?_ A child lord, barely a man. Maria was young herself, but Rei was far more so. If she remembered correctly, he had only just reached his thirteenth nameday recently. Moreover, she had heard rumors that he was mean-spirited and rude. She wanted no part of him.

"I won't marry Lord Rei," Maria answered with a trace of defiance, though her lower lip trembled. She was still afraid of disappointing her cousin, after all.

"You will. It is important that you do this. Rei is the heir to the Brackmire Basin and may very well take the Virid Wood. If that happens, his lands would almost border ours. With only a strip of Souen land to separate us, it would be a simple matter to connect our kingdoms. It is a magnificent opportunity to expand our sphere of influence. There are other, minor nobles, of course, or sons of great lords that would make a decent match for you, but neither have the power and wealth that Rei Touma will wield. Unless, of course, you prefer for me to arrange a marriage with Rido Kuran, the murderer." Shizuka stood, smoothing the folds of her royal purple gown, the hem of which was a sea of pink cherry blossoms that crept surreptitiously up the skirt.

"My Lady," Maria pleaded, "I do not care for wealth or power."

"You might not, but I do. Please, don't make me angry, Maria. I don't want to be angry with you."

Maria felt her will give way under the force of that cold rose gaze. She was going to be shipped away and wed to a child, miles and miles away from her home. There was no snow in the Brackmire Basin. And there would be no Ichiru. At the very least, she supposed that her absence from the capital would be timely, if nothing else. She would not be forced to attend the celebratory feast that Kaname was holding for Shizuka and Ichiru's engagement in a week's time.

Abruptly, Maria felt as though she would burst into tears. She stood, giving a hasty curtsy. Keeping her head bowed, she mumbled, "Forgive me, my Lady… I need a few moments to myself." She barely waited for Shizuka's nod before exiting the chambers.

Back at Sakura Hall, Maria would have gone immediately to the library to seek out comfort from Ichiru's companionship. Now, however, she found that she did not have that option. Nor could she step out into the brisk mountain air to clear her head. She was confined to these halls, to this unfamiliar humidity and warmth. The closest she could come to mimicking the environment of her home was to go up to the ramparts of the castle. She could not be truly alone there, as the guards walked those pathways, but at least she would be at a higher altitude and away from the other courtesans.

Once outside, Maria took a deep breath of the balmy air, letting the rays of the afternoon light sink into her skin. Despite the heat of the sun, Maria had not tanned any since her arrival at Ashgate. Perhaps it was in her blood, since all of the Hios and Kiryuus she had ever met had been remarkably pale. Whatever the case, her milky white skin reflected blue veins back at her even under the intense scrutiny of that distant, fiery yellow globe in the sky.

From her position, Maria could see the western sprawl of the city, cluttered with colorful rooftops and banners of drying clothes. Beyond, she could see the farmlands that stretched around the city in all directions. Somewhere out in that direction, Takuma Ichijou, a man she had never met and never would, had met his death in service to a king who did not deserve his title or his crown. Like her, he had been abused and now his body was probably thrown away into some ravine or stinking pit. She shivered. Despite the circumstances, perhaps death would be welcome to her now. Almost anything was better than marrying Rei Touma, though she knew that her loyalty and love for Shizuka would see to it that she obediently complied with her cousin's wishes.

Vaguely, Maria wondered if Ichiru was at all similar to his twin brother Zero. Were the two men as alike in their personalities as their appearances? Was Zero, too, in love with a woman who would never truly love him? But even if she were to find him, Maria knew that she could never love Zero the way she loved Ichiru. The feelings she had were special, unique. If she were to fall in love a second time, it would not be the same. There would never be another Ichiru for as long as she lived. No one could replace another person. That, she supposed, was why good-byes were so difficult…

"Alone again?" a deep voice shook her out of her pensive reflections.

"I'm not always alone," Maria laughed, turning to wave as Akatsuki Kain joined her on the ramparts.

"I've yet to see you in anyone else's company, aside from Lady Shizuka."

"Well, the same goes for you, except you're usually with Ruka or your uncle," she remarked.

The redhead raised and lowered one shoulder. "I was training earlier, but finally I just wanted some privacy and fresh air."

"Oh," Maria flushed slightly, embarrassed that she had stolen the knight's spot. "I'll leave you, then," she offered.

"No, stay," he insisted. "I don't mind company."

Maria smiled, relieved. She was glad to spend time with someone other than Shizuka and hopeful that she might become friends with the knight.

"You weren't in court today," he told her, "but Kaname was in a grim mood…"

"I heard about Lord Takuma." She shuddered.

"That, and I'm not sure you're aware, but Kaname's Bloodguard Seiren returned today from a trip or something of that nature, and when she returned she had lost an eye… At least, she was wearing an eyepatch. He did not seem pleased."

Maria felt a grim sort of satisfaction to know that not everything was going as Kaname had planned. Nevertheless…the Kuran lord was still king and the soldiers still gripped the city with fear. Kaname's temporarily foul mood was cold comfort in comparison.

"Some of Lord Kaname's men raided a granary yesterday…" the Hio girl informed the redhead. She had heard the news from Shizuka.

"I heard…" Akatsuki's expression was sour. "This would have never happened under King Kaien's rule. No one gives Kaien much credit because he didn't do anything particularly noteworthy, but he was always kind and fair and thought of the needs of his people. Kaname has a great political mind, but…" The knight shook his head. "Unfortunately, he has no heart for his people."

Maria bowed her head, watching the soldiers on patrol below. She didn't think that she would ever want to be queen. The possibility of ruling the Amaranthine Peaks was daunting enough, let alone all nine of the kingdoms. Though now, of course, Maria supposed she would be helping to rule the Brackmire Basin. At least, that was if Rei was charitable enough to allow her to carry out the normal duties of a great lady.

Trying to clear her head, she murmured, "The kingdoms need someone with a kind heart who understands its people." She smiled, shooting him a glance. "Someone like you, maybe."

Surprise was evident on Akatsuki's face. Immediately he denied this, saying, "I don't want anyone following me. I'm not a leader; all I ever wanted was to fight for a lord I believed in. But lately it seems like the good lords are dead and the rest are monsters."

"Shizuka isn't so bad and Nagamichi is an honorable man," she replied.

"My uncle is going to get himself killed." Akatsuki rubbed his eyes tiredly. "He's putting too much pressure on Kaname and has stopped shipments of ore to the capital until Hanabusa is found. Unless he intends to declare war, a war is what he might get anyway. I respect him a great deal, but I don't think it wise to try and plow over Kaname like this."

"You're only proving my point that you'd be a good ruler," she giggled. "Is your brother like you? I'm sure he must be a good lord."

Akatsuki chuckled. "That he is. But Kan prefers to stay out of the capital. I don't blame him."

"Ruka would marry you in an instant if you were king," Maria mused.

The knight sighed, suddenly growing distant. Then, softly, "Even though we both know that the one we love will never so much as look our way, we cannot erase the small something within us that continues to hope in vain."

It was true… Even if Ichiru never looked at her again, she would desire to remain by his side. She would support him, even if he was Lord Hio and she was Lady Touma and the rift between them had grown so vast that it had become an abyss.

Absently, Maria touched the crystal that she always wore around her neck. Why did she persist in loving Ichiru? He no longer thought of her very often, it seemed, no longer desired to pass the time with her. His every thought was occupied with her cousin, and still… Still, she refused to let him go.

Melancholic, she leaned on the cool stone of the wall. She should have fallen in love with someone else, someone who would not forget her so easily. Perhaps it was because she had connected so deeply with Ichiru, above all others. Ichiru, like her, had been small and weak and alone. His family, like hers, was dead, and his body had been failing him, so like her own. She had never forgotten their days together as children, exploring the libraries and the halls of Sakura Hall together. Even though she had been three years younger, he had never called her a nuisance or scolded her for following him…

 _Violet eyes peered back at her in the candlelight. The boy stopped, half turning towards her._

 _"You're coming with me again?"_

 _Maria bobbed her head up and down in affirmation. Rather than respond with words, she simply stepped forward, slipped her hand into his, and waited for him to lead her forward. Despite the darkness and her fragile frame, she felt a little stronger when she held Ichiru's hand._

 _"You really can't sleep well, can you?" he asked, tugging her hand and starting forward down the hall._

 _She shook her head. It wasn't really that, though. She liked to wait for him to sneak out of his room and into the library after everyone else was asleep. During these late hours, Ichiru was exclusively hers._

 _"I couldn't sleep well when I was alone either, before…" His fingers tightened around hers for a moment. Then, "But it's not my fault if you get into trouble."_

 _"It's okay," she told him happily. Getting caught did not frighten her because of the punishment she might receive, but rather because she might be prevented from sneaking out again. It was a risk she was more than willing to take._

 _"If you don't mind then I guess you can come with me whenever you want," he told her. "Because I don't want to leave you alone if you don't like being by yourself."_

 _Although the night air was chilly, Maria felt infinitely warmed by the pressure of his hand around hers and the understanding words that touched her heart._

A nudge against her arm drug her out of the dredges of her memory. She blinked, slow to comprehend what Akatsuki wished to show her before her eyes followed his finger out across the vibrant cityscape. On the outskirts of the city, a plume of smoke had risen high into the sky. Maria could only surmise that a fire had started, but its sudden appearance and the large quantity of smoke suggested something serious. Around them, there were shouts, and Maria saw a few men break off and hurriedly enter the castle, presumably to inform someone of the occurrence.

"The city is slipping away from King Kaname, little by little," Akatsuki said in a low voice. "My uncle told me there is talk of a rebellion."

"If he does lose it, I won't be sad to see him go."

"If the situation continues like this, there will be bloodshed." The knight's expression was somber.

"Bloodshed?" she echoed.

"A great deal of blood could be shed in this city, and who knows who might get caught in the middle of it."

Despite the warmth of the air, Akatsuki's words caused a shiver to run down Maria's spine.

* * *

 **AN:** Okayyyyy guys don't kill meeee, put down your pitchforks, we still haven't CONFIRMED anything that happened to Takuma and if you kill me you'll never know for sure you know? Just sayinnnng!

Go, distraction! -throws pokeball-

This should really be the AN for the last chapter, but does anyone have any character name puns? Like Rei-diculous? Teehee.


	44. 44 Yori

**AN:** To avoid confusion for those of you who haven't read GOT, the seasons are much longer in that world than in our own. Hence, Yori's reference to the summer being super long, by our standards.

* * *

 **Yori**

Summer in the Brackmire Basin was harsh. The muggy air, insects, and sweltering temperatures sucked her dry of every last drop of her energy. Yori missed the shade that the trees of Virid Wood provided. Vaguely, she wondered what a winter would be like in the basin, though she knew there was no chance that she would find out. The last winter had come only months before, and sometimes summer could last for over a year. By the time the next winter arrived, she wanted to be far away from this kingdom. For now, however, she was forced to endure the insufferable heat.

Yori took a breath, the slow intake helping to center her. In spite of everything, she and Hanabusa were at least free from Rei Touma. She hoped the bandits had gotten the best of him and his men, though she had no way of knowing. She would have been perfectly happy never to see the child again, but a part of her wished to go back to the place of the ambush and look for the wooden charm her father had made her. Although most of their belongings had been in the bundles the horse carried, along with their weaponry, the charm had not been among them. She knew it was only wood, but the trinket was all she had left of her family, and as long as she carried it with her she might have been able to carry a piece of them with her, as well.

During their capture, Yori had spent ample time reliving the attack on the Vale at least a thousand times. If she had stayed with the townspeople... If she had used herself as decoy so that her father might have escaped... If she had insisted that her family use the escape route... If... If... But it was too late to change the past. Her decisions had ensured the death of every single member of her family and nearly all of the people in her town. After the bitter bite of shock had worn off, she found in its place a seething anger. Anger at herself, anger at Kaname, anger even towards Yuki and Zero for standing idly by while her home burned to the ground. And when the fires of that anger had died down, she was left emptily alone, hating herself and feeling crushed beneath a weight of emotions so heavy that she had no choice but to retreat somewhere distant where the pain could not dig new gashes into her heart.

Morosely, she turned her attention back to the brown, waterlogged scenery that surrounded them. The swamp seemed endless, and here there were no trees to speak of; only low brush and reeds. They had been riding for a couple of days now, attempting to reorient themselves on the road, but instead Yori was almost positive that they had made a large circle and weren't terribly far from where they had started. In spite of that, she knew that they were headed away from Drosera and currently they were on a relatively intact, if fading, road that wound its way through the mire around them. There wasn't much for the horse to graze on and Yori worried about the creature's stamina, but she and Hanabusa weren't terribly better off. They had roasted the lizard carcass that the horse had been loaded with, but their rations were running low and their fresh water supply was lower still. Regardless, she would have to be dying of thirst before she would chance the swamp waters.

More than her hunger or thirst or grief, though, she was tired. So very tired. Her clothes were fraying and muddy and she was dirty, bruised, and worn out. She wanted to find somewhere to rest, but the swamp was desolate and empty. She wanted to lean her head against the knight's shoulder and sleep, but she feared that she might fall off the horse or, worse, that when she awoke something terrible would have happened and Hanabusa would be dead. And Yori knew that she could not do this alone. To lose just one more person close to her would push her past an edge over which she already hovered…

To distract herself from the bleak turn of her thoughts, she asked, "You don't have a map?" She was sure she already knew the answer. She couldn't imagine he was holding out on her when it was imperative they find Yuki and Zero again.

"No, I don't have a map," the knight answered wearily. He was as exhausted as she was and in much the same state of grime and bruises.

"Maybe we should get one," she suggested, tone a tad petulant as a result of her fatigue. She didn't mean to be snippy. She was just exhausted and drained of spirit.

"Of course," he agreed with tired sarcasm, peering over his shoulder at her. "Just point out the next map shop you see and I'll buy you one."

Her eyes swept the expanse of the mire around them. Unless the shop was underground or underwater, there was nothing to be found. "I'm almost certain we've gone in a circle." She sighed.

"We did before. Now we're not."

"Which direction are we headed?"

"South…more or less." His response did not quite inspire her confidence.

Yori shifted her grip around the blond knight and sat up a little straighter as he slowed the horse to a walk to save its energy. It seemed like an eternity ago that they had been back in The Vale and she had been exasperated to no end by this man. Now, particularly after their capture, it seemed like they were actually friends. It was strange, but she was glad for his company and she felt reassured by his companionship now, even if she failed to show it. The situation at least did not seem so hopeless with him there. And she was grateful, too, for his words that had helped her to remember not to give up. As long as she still had breath in her lungs she would continue fighting for Yuki. That was, if they ever found her again and survived long enough to see the end of the Brackmire Basin.

"I hope Yuki's okay…" she trailed off, imagination already summoning a thousand scenarios in which her friend perished in the basin.

"Hey," his voice nudged her out of negativity before she could sink into it again. "She's with Zero. There's no one better protected in the Nine Kingdoms."

He was right, of course. Zero would never let anything happen to Yuki. His devotion to her went above and beyond the duties of an ordinary knight or Bloodguard. She wasn't bitter or resentful, because she knew that Yuki's life was invaluable, but even when her home was burning and her people were dying he had refused to leave the princess' side for even an instant. Zero had not even noticed when Yori had run off into the fog. His attention was wholly dedicated to the woman he loved and was sworn to protect.

A peculiar sadness dissipated through her veins. She had no one like Yuki's knights. She had never taken a Bloodguard because she had never considered herself worthy of one. And although Hanabusa Aidou was protecting her now, his priority was and always would be Yuki. He had made an unbreakable oath to do so.

She shut her eyes for a moment. She wasn't usually so pessimistic. It was just, at present, the faces of her dead people danced in the peripheral of her vision. In response to the knight's words she murmured, "You've done a good job of protecting me so far..." She felt almost bitter about this. If she had been killed back in The Vale during the attack or by Rei Touma she would never have known how impossibly deep sorrow could run. Even now it was burrowing into her pores, grinding abrasively against her bones.

Hanabusa shook his head. "Ideally, we wouldn't have been captured at all."

Still thinking of his oath, she asked, "What kind of vow did you make to Yuki? You're a noble lord, so it couldn't be the same as a soldier's…" Her tired brain had latched onto this question, churning it mechanically in her head while hunger churned mechanically in her stomach.

"I made it when I was twelve so I don't remember the exact wording." He stopped for a moment, perhaps trying to recollect the phrasing. At last he said, "I swore to protect and serve Yuki Kuran at the cost of my own life, to the best of my abilities, until I was absolved of my oath. Something of that nature, anyway."

"So it does take into account your nobility," she observed.

"When I inherit the Indigo Mountains Yuki will release me and find another Bloodguard, if she so chooses. Or, if and when my father chooses my wife, it's also possible that he might recall me home at that time to prepare me as the future Lord Aidou." He seemed unhappy with this.

"Couldn't that be a good thing? To be with your family again?" Certainly, Yori would have done anything for even another moment with hers… She felt almost angry with him. There was nothing more precious than family to her after losing her own in such a brutal, sudden manner. She had taken hers for granted. Maybe this was her punishment for such a flippant way of thinking.

He shifted in the saddle, looking straight ahead so that she could not fully glimpse his expression. A breath, then, "It wouldn't be the same…"

Immediately a rush of regret chased away the anger. She was being too harsh. "You'd miss them...Yuki and Zero." Of course he would miss them. Yuki and Zero were his closest friends, a second family. Yuki was like a sister for Yori, as well…

He didn't add anything more, but she knew that she had guessed correctly. She knew life would change drastically for him once he returned home. Certainly he wouldn't be able to spend his days with any semblance of his prior life in the capital with Yuki and Zero. And after Yuki was queen, Yori doubted that her childhood friend would have much contact with anyone outside the capital, Yori included. Yori would be alone when she rebuilt her kingdom. Maybe she wasn't so different from Zero now; the last of her name, alone in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy…

"What's that?" Hanabusa asked suddenly, pointing up ahead.

Yori followed the line of his finger to a distant plume of smoke that was rising lazily over the swamp. "Smoke!" she exclaimed softly, her belly rumbling eagerly at the thought of civilization.

"That's what I thought." He spurred the horse to a trot.

Unless there was a fire, the smoke almost certainly meant people. It might not be a town, but at least someone was living there, and as long as they weren't bandits, Yori would be overjoyed for a place to rest and renew their supplies. Most of all, she was excited at the prospect of a meal and a bath.

Before long, the pair had rounded the bend. In front of them was a large wooden house covered with peeling blue paint, smoke billowing from its brick chimney. It had a large yard of hard-packed dirt, on which was a laundry line and washing station for clothes. Beside the house was a small barn and behind it, peeking out to the left of the structure, was a peculiar glass building. After a moment of staring at it in puzzlement, Yori realized it was a greenhouse. Although she had never seen one before, she had heard of them, and she assumed that inside resided a variety of plants.

"While we're here, call me Hansa," Hanabusa told her in a low voice.

She nodded, thinking. Calling herself Yori was a dead giveaway to her identity, and calling herself Sayo sounded strange, so she replied, "Then I'm Sari."

The knight dismounted, motioning for her to stay on the horse, and cautiously approached the door. His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword as he knocked. Yori, too, was wary. After all that had happened to her home and with Rei Touma, she was distrustful at best of strangers.

After a few moments, the door creaked open and in the threshold Yori could see an ordinary-appearing man. The man was older than her father, with grey hair and a lined, weathered face, but he wasn't as old as the medicine woman who had lived in The Vale. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about him, from the bald patch on the top of his head to the muddy boots on his feet, which she took as a good sign. He did not seem likely to slit their throats. The man and Hanabusa talked for a while, and when the knight's hand relaxed, falling by his side, she relaxed as well.

Another few moments elapsed before the Aidou lord motioned her over. She dismounted, leading the horse forward as far as she could. Upon closer inspection, she could see that the man in the doorway was no stranger to work, as his hands were heavily calloused. He was no stranger to laughter, either, as she noted the smile lines that framed his mouth. Judging by his appearance alone, Yori thought that he seemed kindly. Once more she felt reassured that he bore them no ill will.

"Good afternoon," the man greeted her. "My name is Kaze. Your friend tells me you need a place to stay."

"Yes sir." She did her best to smile.

"Very well then. I'll see to your horse and my wife will see to you two." He pushed past them, gruffly but gently, and took the reins of the horse, leading it towards the barn.

Yori peered into the house just as an older woman shuffled down the hall towards them. The woman, like Kaze, exhibited all the signs of a life of hard work, but she, too, seemed amiable. "Come in," she beckoned, and the two nobles stepped inside. Yori shut the door behind her, looking around to see stairs to her left, a closed door to her right, and a narrow hallway before her. The entryway, devoid of decoration apart from a fading coat of once-white paint, told her little about the rest of the house.

"I'm Beruka," the woman introduced herself. "You two are in luck. This happens to be a hostel for travelers. Right now, we have only one other guest here. And you two are..?"

"I'm Sari, of Lazuli Lakes," Yori fibbed, naming the Souen region rather than her own. "And this is Hansa, son of-"

"You wouldn't know him," Hanabusa interjected before she could give a fake name.

Beruka chuckled. "You're covered in dirt, so it helps, but you'd do best to hide your sword, Hansa." She leaned forward and whispered as though confiding a secret, "Some folks might not be as understanding as me, when it comes to breaking bread with nobility." She winked.

"You don't want to know how I came about this sword," the knight murmured darkly in an effort to convince her that he was not noble.

"Whatever you say," the woman shrugged. "I have a couple of rooms available, actually, so you're in luck. My husband and I live on the bottom floor, but there are four other rooms upstairs. One is taken, I'm afraid. Apart from that, I've got two empty bedrooms and a room with bunks.

"We don't charge anything here, but we do ask that you pitch in with the work. We always need help with cooking, cleaning, and work in the greenhouse where we grow most of our food. If you have any meat, especially, we ask that you share with us. The Brackmire Basin isn't hospitable to livestock, I'm afraid."

"The bedrooms sound perfect," the blond answered. "And we'll help out as best we can."

"This way, then."

Beruka led them up the staircase to the left, which opened to a hall lined with doorways. The first door on the left was shut, so Yori could not begin to guess at who might be housed within. At the end of the hall to the left was the large room that Beruka had described, packed with three bunk beds, and across the hall to the right were the two small bedrooms in which she and Hanabusa would be staying. The rooms were simple but more than sufficient, furnished only with a bed, end table, and chest for storing clothes. The only difference that Yori could detect between the two rooms was the color of the bedspreads and pillows. The first room was a pale green; the second, a pale yellow. Unconsciously, Yori felt drawn to the room with the green blankets, and had placed her pack inside the entryway before she realized what she had done.

"Green is my favorite color, as well," Beruka told her.

Yori blinked, finally processing her actions. Hanabusa gave her a small, sympathetic smile and placed his own pack into the yellow bedroom as Yori quickly disclaimed, "No, it's..." She trailed off. It wasn't her favorite color, exactly. It was the color of her home and everything she loved and had lost. But she could not say that here or now.

"Believe it or not," Beruka said, "this is a popular stopping point for travelers going between Drosera and the southern end of the basin. We've been running this hostel for almost twenty years now and we've never had a shortage of business. Our philosophy is easy. We believe that no one need gain wealth and power over one another. Instead, we can aid one another, help with what is needed, and come together in friendship. We have never asked for a penny from travelers and we have never had a need."

"That's wonderful," Yori told her sincerely. She wished that the rest of the kingdoms could share in this perspective. If they had, perhaps The Vale might have been spared.

"I'll bring you some clean clothes and show you where you can wash. You'll have to clean your old clothes yourselves, though. I'll be right back." The woman gestured for them to wait where they were and went back down the stairs.

Yori glanced longingly at the bed as she set down her bow and quiver of arrows. It would feel so good to sleep on a mattress again. Nevertheless, she knew that she could not rest yet. At least, not while she smelled of the swamp.

"It seems like we'll make it through the basin after all," Hanabusa remarked with renewed confidence.

"Yes," she agreed, a tiny resurgence of energy brushing against her heart. In spite of everything, they were still alive. The past was bleak and putrid as rotting meat, but in the future a sparkle of hope gleamed against a distant horizon.

Yori only hoped that Yuki and Zero would make it to that future as well.

* * *

 **AN:** Stay tuned next week for news on Takuma! Oh, and review, too, ofc!


	45. 45 Takuma

AN: Oh heyyy, look who it is! It's Takuma! Just don't kill me for this chapter... XD Tho you probably will want to...

!TRIGGER WARNING! For several things, really...this chapter is a mess. I think everyone should be okay to read this since I didn't go into a lot of detail but I prefer to warn you just in case. If you feel that you shouldn't read this chapter please send me a PM so I can fill you in on what happened =).

* * *

 **TAKUMA**

Takuma's eyes fluttered open in the fetid darkness. His skin felt cold and clammy and he shivered violently, teeth chattering loudly enough that he wondered if the sound had woken him. His muscles were stiff, cramped, and chafed raw in places from the chains that bound him. He tried to stretch his arms, but the fetters that held them to the wall prevented him from doing so. He coughed weakly and, feeling something furry skitter across his foot, wished for the merciful black of sleep again.

He was a fool.

He was a fool and now there was no way out. His own pride had locked the chains that encircled him more effectively than any key ever could have. He focused on calming his breaths, keeping the panic from coursing through him again. Sara would not keep him here forever. He just prayed that his sanity would hold long enough to see the day that he was released.

He leaned his head back wearily, feeling the slick concrete wall bump against it, and shut his eyes. The total darkness was less disconcerting when his eyes were closed. He had lost count of the days that he had been here, lost count of the times Sara had visited with her smile as white as bleached bone and her bloody instruments. He shuddered, the memory of them bringing him close to tears. No, he was stronger than this. He would endure, for Kaname's sake.

When he had awoken from unconsciousness after the ambush, he had thought he was lucky to be saved. How wrong he had been… How very, completely wrong...

 _Takuma woke in darkness. Around him was only black silence, stretching out as far as he could see. He stilled, unsure of where he was. Not dead, surely, but where? Cautiously, he moved one hand, feeling a soft sensation under his fingertips. He moved his head, frowning. A bed?_

 _A swishing sound broke through the quiet dark, and then blindingly bright sunlight cut across his field of vision. He groaned, covering his eyes as the beams pierced into his retina._

 _"The sunlight...it's too bright..." he mumbled, wincing._

 _"Well, you are finally awake," a woman's voice, strangely familiar, purred from the window. "You took much too long to wake up, even for someone wounded and unconscious. Although, I knew that you were not so weak that you wouldn't eventually pull out of it."_

 _Squinting through the bright light, Takuma thought he recognized the figure before him. He could vaguely make out the soft outline of a face, the waist-length, wavy platinum blond hair... "You... Sara... Shirabuki?" Dismay washed through him. He must be at the Citadel, then. Someone must have saved him, and brought him here after the attack._

 _A chuckle. "The last time we saw each other, you broke both mine and my sister's hearts... Isn't that right?"_

 _"I... Um... I'm sorry..." he apologized as sincerely as possible. He was sorry for breaking their hearts, but not sorry to leave The Citadel or to refuse marriage to either of the sisters._

 _"I forgive you," she said, much to his relief. Then, "You came back, after all." Her fingers idly played with the curtains, flashing bright light into his eyes each time they were pulled back._

 _"I'm...sorry to ask this of you Sara but...could you please..." His arm remained over his eyes protectively to block out the vicious sunlight._

 _"I will close the curtain." She waited, hand poised over the fabric. "But only if you reply to some questions I want to ask right now."_

 _Takuma held back a sigh. Of course it wouldn't be so easy for Sara Shirabuki to comply with even the smallest of his requests._

 _"Don't worry, I'm just joking," she laughed, closing the curtain so that only a thin stream of light entered. "I'll wait a bit longer before torturing you like this. I need to have you heal up first from the damage my incompetent men caused you."_

 _Takuma sat up slowly, brows pinching together._ Her _men? Then, the attack was done by Sara..?_

 _"Although," she continued, "I do have some questions about Lord Kaname I want answered right now. You see, I don't know much about him, despite being neighbors... Or that he is the man you betrayed me to serve..."_

 _Lord Kaname? What could Sara Shirabuki wish to know about him? Was Takuma a prisoner then? Were the Shirabuki's declaring war? The noble lord was confused. And, if they were to go to war, why was he being kept in pleasant, comfortable conditions and not confined to a cell?_

 _"I happen... to very much hate being ignored," Sara tapped a finger impatiently against her folded arms._

 _He started, realizing she was expecting him to say something. When he was at a loss for words, however, she sighed and moved to sit at the edge of the bed. As she came forward, he noticed at last the gown she had adorned for the day: a sheer, form fitting, sleeveless black dress that faded into midnight blue at the bottom. The color or shape of the dress itself wasn't particularly noteworthy, but Takuma saw that the skirt was slit open to reveal the length of her leg and the cut of the bodice did not leave much to the imagination. Seeing her in such attire did not provoke lust in Takuma Ichijou, however. He knew this woman too well. Rather than focus on her, his eyes quickly scanned the room for the nearest exit._

 _"Never mind." She shook her head, hair rippling with her motion, and smiled. "It's been so long since you were last here. I did miss you, Takuma..."_

 _His lips pressed together, unsure of how to respond. He did not wish to give her any false hopes, nor to lie, and at the same time he didn't want to hurt her feelings further. Trapped, he remained silent._

 _"Did you think of me at all, during your absence?" She shifted forward so far he worried the bodice would break, fingers lightly grazing against his arm. He realized then that he was wearing unfamiliar clothes; silken black pajamas that he knew must have been supplied by Sara's household. After all, the colors of her house were black and silver. His old clothes, he assumed, were as good as gone. She was undoubtedly enjoying the sight of him in her house colors._

 _"I did," he admitted, leaving out the negativity of such thoughts. In fact, one or two nightmares might have been inspired by her and her sibling._

 _Was he mistaken, or did she flush ever so slightly? As politely and discreetly as he was able, he shifted his arm away. He needed to leave this room and make his presence known by Lord Ouri. Until that time, who knew how long Sara would keep him there._

 _"I thought of you every day and dreamed of you every night," she murmured, blue eyes staring up at him from under thick lashes._

 _She raised her arm, touching the backs of her fingertips to his cheek. Takuma stiffened, doing his best not to flinch. He should tread carefully here. Nevertheless, it seemed his lack of response encouraged her. Her fingers ran lightly down the side of his neck before tracing his collarbone. Unable to hold himself still any longer, he moved away more pointedly this time. His emotions were a tangled mess of caution, embarrassment, annoyance, and fear._

 _"Ah... Um," he began awkwardly, wishing to refuse her advances entirely but uncertain how to do so. "I definitely feel very grateful for you having...um...helped me, Sara, but...you understand that I can't..." He trailed off, mind failing to provide words that he might use to finish his thought._

 _"Hm." Sara raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "Why not?"_

 _He took a breath. If he explained himself, would she see reason, or not? Rather than take the chance, he asked instead, "Were your men the ones that attacked me?"_

 _Sara laughed. "Why bother with such a trivial detail?"_

 _When she reached for him this time he pulled away, repeating, "Were they?"_

 _The blond woman blew out a sigh. "Yes. I instructed them to only kill your guards, but they're former convicts and a little unruly. Rehabilitating them as my soldiers has been...complicated. I only wanted to ensure that you were brought first to me, however, and that no one witnessed your arrival."_

 _"I see," he answered softly. He did see, all too well. Sara had no intention of releasing him or letting him carry out his mission._

 _"You know, I have a really short patience," she announced suddenly. "To be frank, I'm tired of beating around the bush in such a bothersome manner. Takuma Ichijou, I want you to become mine."_

 _The lord was startled. He had not expected her to be so bold or so straightforward. Watching her through veiled green eyes, Takuma could feel the strings of her web tightening around him. Perhaps he was already caught, but he would not give in to her demands._

 _"We have already discussed this, Sara. Moreover, my grandfather has advised me not to enter into any marriage without first consulting him," he replied as firmly as possible._

 _"What a fool you are." She seemed amused._

 _"I have to insist that you let me go. Refusing me will cause a conflict with the Ichijou and Kuran houses that I think you and your father especially would prefer to avoid."_

 _"He's dead," Sara smirked._

 _"What?"_

 _Satisfaction crept over her features. "Indeed. My sister and I stabbed him more times than I dared to count. But, it matters not because as far as anyone else is concerned, you're the one who's dead, not my father. No one is coming to rescue you. So I'll ask you once more: will you be mine, Takuma?"_

 _His brows slammed down against his eyes as he refused flatly. "No."_

 _"How delightfully dreadful. Mark my words, you will regret having denied me this. Very well, then."_

 _She stood and clapped loudly. Immediately, the door opened, and four armed guards entered the room. Takuma thought he recognized one of them from the attack on him and his men, but he could not be sure. All four were tall and burly, and without a weapon Takuma knew that he could not fight his way out._

 _"Take him below to the cell I had prepared." Sara waved her hand dismissively and the guards stepped forward quickly to drag the protesting noble from the bed._

 _"You really... Talk about being impatient indeed!" It was the first time in perhaps years that Takuma had raised his voice._

 _"I have been patient. And now... I should warn you, fear cuts deeper than swords. I will cut you far deeper than you ever imagined possible and make you mine forever," she told him as he was roughly escorted through the door._

The cold wrenched him violently from the memory. The dampness of the walls chilled his skin, dripping slowly down his spine and pooling at his lower back like a watery shudder. Fate was cruel and ironic, after all. He had feared that Kaname would torture him for one betrayal. Instead, Sara tortured him for another. But perhaps it was no more than he deserved… For breaking her heart, for breaking her sister's heart, for faltering in his loyalties to his lord, for standing idly by as Zero Kiryuu was tortured… This was a fitting punishment for all his many crimes. He should suffer as they had, should suffer more as penitence.

And he knew he would suffer. More. And more. And more, until the breaking point. This was the promise Sara had made to him, and he knew that she, unlike him, would keep her word. Her first visit to him here in the dungeons had made that abundantly clear. The edges of that memory were still sharper than a razor.

 _The cell door creaked open. Sara entered, setting down a large glass lantern to provide a source of light. Beside her was a short man with a face that somehow resembled a turtle. A pair of round spectacles sat perched on the end of his nose and he looked at the noble prisoner with unabashed curiosity. In his left hand he carried what looked to be a large, bulky briefcase of some sort. He sat it down alongside the left wall and stood at attention, obviously waiting for some signal or order. His eyes gleamed ominously in the lantern light._

 _Takuma fixed Sara with an indignant look, hoping to talk his way out of the situation. Already, he was preparing a speech reflecting his parentage and place in the Kuran and Ichijou households. Surely she knew that she could not keep a man of his birth a prisoner without any consequences._

 _The woman smirked and the words dropped from his lips unsaid. She knew who he was. She knew where he came from, why he was there, and she had shackled him anyway._

" _Oh, no need to look so affronted, I'm not here to try to seduce you again." She smiled slowly, unsheathing a wickedly curved dagger that she had belted at her side. "I assure you, you'll be begging for me to return to my former tactics once I'm finished with you. Actually, I'm wearing my more…expendable clothing…" She gestured to the simple black cotton dress she wore. Despite its simplicity, however, the material still clung artfully to her frame, enhancing her curves. The plunging neckline, as well, did little to convince him that the dress was merely functional._

 _Her next words alarmed him. "After all, they'll be completely covered in blood by the time we're finished." She lifted the knife to her lips, running her tongue slowly across the flat side of the blade._

 _Takuma wrestled with the manacles that bound his ankles and wrists, suddenly terrified by the monstrous look in her previously placid eyes. "Surely…we can talk about this," he suggested desperately._

" _The time for that is done," she said, voice brittle. "I offered you your chance." She gestured to the man who was patiently waiting against the wall. "This is Joko. He is a loyal servant of mine, trained in healing magic."_

 _The man stepped forward eagerly, and Sara nodded, obviously giving him permission for whatever he was about to do._

 _Sara cleaned beneath her nails with the tip of her knife. Her blue eyes, darkened to almost black in the dim lighting, flicked to him as she murmured, "I'm going to utterly destroy you and rebuild you again a thousand times over."_

 _Joko flashed him a toothy grin, running his hands very carefully and sluggishly across Takuma's body. Beneath the skin on the man's hands, the noble lord could see a rippling of reddish light. The high lord tensed, but no pain was forthcoming, and the little man continued without comment. After a time, Joko began to hum listlessly under his breath._

" _What are you doing?" Takuma asked nervously._

" _He's memorizing your body, inside and out," Sara answered. "You're so beautiful the way you are right now, Takuma, and what I'm going to do to you isn't very beautiful at all. I don't want to do any…," she hesitated, then, "irreversible damage."_

 _Despite the cold of the cell, Takuma felt himself begin to sweat. Sara's composed expression and the lilting tune that Joko hummed unnerved him. His eyes settled on the briefcase against the wall and he trembled. He did not know the contents of that case, but he did know that whatever they were, they promised him pain._

 _At last, Joko finished, stepping away and nodding cheerfully to Sara, who smiled graciously and told him, "Thank you."_

 _Sara came forward then, shoes tapping against the wet floor hollowly. Her right hand held the knife, which dangled at her side, seemingly innocently. Her left hand touched against his stomach, running upwards to his neck. He swallowed against the dry lump in his throat, trying to cease his trembling. He shouldn't reveal his fear to her. She was a treacherous creature, and the sight of fear would probably inflame her predatory senses more._

" _My poor, darling Takuma… Don't be afraid." She pressed her lips gently against the side of his neck. "It will hurt, but after you're completely mine, after the pain, there will only be pleasure. I promise you that."_

 _His fingers curled, clenching into fists momentarily, nails biting into his flesh. He had to control himself. But it was difficult, made harder still by the fact that he had already witnessed a torture not long ago. He knew what she could do to him without leaving a single mark on his body and he could not begin to imagine what she could do to him otherwise._

 _Her lips were at his ear as she whispered, "All men are made of water, do you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die."_

 _She released him, stroking his face tenderly before turning her attention to the knife. She turned it through her fingers as if in contemplation, musing, "It's strange, the first time you cut a man… As I have said, we are water...and beyond that? The human body is a sack of meat, blood and some bone to keep it all standing. It's so crude and so elegant, all at the same time."_

 _Sara stood on her tip toes, reaching around his neck with both arms. In one hand, she grabbed the ends of his hair, and in the other hand she used the knife to hack it away. It was only a small amount that she removed, and after running it through her fingers, she gave it to Joko, who placed it in a small envelope he had taken from his jacket._

" _Lord Kaname wants my hand in marriage, Takuma," she told him. "How foolish. I have to send him a message that he'll understand."_

" _If you married him, you'd be queen," Takuma said quietly._

 _Sara watched him for a moment with a sad expression. "I don't want to be queen. I have never wanted to be queen." She moved closer again, staring up into his eyes with a strangely pitiful look. "There is only one thing I have ever wanted: you. And yet you continue to deny me."_

 _Her arm lashed out, striking with the swiftness and precision of a cobra. Burning, horrifying pain lanced through his left hand and hot liquid spurted down his arm. He wasn't sure if he screamed. When at last he was able to focus on more than the agony that was his hand, he felt the air instantly sucked from his lungs._

 _In the palm of her hand, she cradled his pinky finger. He stared at her with wide eyes, panting as he fought to regain composure. The blond woman removed a familiar object from her pocket, kissing it before sliding it over the severed appendage. It was the ring passed down to him from his father that bore the tower symbol of his house. Sara dropped the finger into the envelope, the paper quickly soaking up the drops of deep crimson blood and staining._

" _When we wed, Takuma, I expect another one of those. See that it's done," she mandated. Then, "Joko."_

 _The servant pocketed the envelope again, unaffected by its bloody contents, and moved to Takuma, placing his hand over the noble's and fitting their fingers together. Takuma cut off a whimper before it escaped his throat, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to refocus his mind on other things. On his homeland, the Stormy Isles. On his favorite collection of books, awaiting his return on the shelf in his room. On the salt of the ocean and the warmth of the sun. On anything else._

 _The pain intensified viciously. The burning in his hand intensified, as though being struck with a whip of lava. He tried to writhe away from it, from the magician, but the shackles held him securely in place. He was sure that he screamed then, twisting futilely in his restraints. Through a blurred, agonizing haze, he saw Sara smiling._

 _And then, abruptly, the pain was gone. A specter, already retreating from his memory. Startled, he couldn't help himself as he glanced over at his hand. He didn't want to see the stump of his finger, but the sudden end to his pain intrigued him nonetheless._

 _His finger was there. Whole. Intact. He flexed it warily, testing the joint. The finger bent as it always had. The drying blood on his arm, however, told a different story._

 _Confused, he looked at Sara, who chuckled, explaining, "As long as there aren't many wounds, and it's not too late, Joko could even bring you back to life. Regrowing a single finger is nothing. Of course… Doing so does not come without pain."_

 _In spite of his terror, Takuma was also amazed. A healer like Joko who possessed such magical prowess could do so much good. And yet, cruelly, pointlessly, his talents were wasted on torture._

" _You do not yet know true pain, Takuma Ichijou," Sara informed him, gesturing to Joko, who began to open the briefcase they had brought. "But you will."_

 _As the case opened, revealing its contents, she repeated, "You will."_

 _He was plunged into a living nightmare._

It was anxiety this time that snapped him back to his senses. Were those footsteps, in the hall? He started shaking. Was she coming again to inflict more pain? He waited for a few dizzying moments with baited breath, mind reeling with apprehension. Please, let it not be her. Anyone but her.

No one came.

He relaxed gradually, his muscles slowly ceasing to tremble. It wasn't her. Not yet. He wasn't sure how much more pain his body could handle without breaking. He had been torn apart so many times that he could no longer count them. Sometimes, she visited the cell multiple times a day. Other times, she stayed for so many hours, inflicting so many horrors upon his body that he lost himself to a black nothingness. After losing his senses so many times, he was afraid of becoming a gibbering beast. He was a man who had seen his own intestines, held in Sara's delicate, pale hands as she laughed melodically, happily, and repeated the words: "Takuma Ichijou you are mine." He had heard those words so many times now that he could hear them echoing in the silence of his head.

The cell door creaked open.

He tensed, heart pounding in his chest like a frightened rabbit. She was toying with him, making him feel safe when she fully intended to hurt him again.

As the light illuminated a circle around her, a halo of soft light that played off the platinum blond of her hair, Takuma Ichijou crumpled against his fetters and started to sob.

* * *

 **AN:** I don't really have anything to say for myself...this happens in GOT so I thought it would be fitting if it happened in this fic, too... Um... Please...put down your pitchforks... -everyone is approaching with weapons- Everyone: "How dare you hurt our precious Takuma?!" SORRY! -RUNS AWAY- -chased down by angry readers-

Takuma really is too pure for this GOT world... He understands the game of thrones so why doesn't he play? If he had only played along with Sara this wouldn't have happened... I love Takuma idk why I'm doing this to him... I guess because in GOT the good people always have the worst things happen to them.


	46. 46 Zero

**ZERO**

Zero studied the stew that Rima and Senri had brought out for them, eyeing his spoonful skeptically. He didn't think the mages would poison them, but neither would it have shocked him. He stirred the viscous mess of vegetables and strange, unfamiliar hunks of meat around with his spoon, frowning as he brought the utensil to his mouth and slowly chewed. The flavor was hearty and rich, if a bit gamey, most likely due to the meat. He didn't ask what it was. In the swamp, he knew whatever source of meat they used was most likely an unappetizing one.

"Did you make this?" Yuki questioned cheerfully. Reading the letter from her father had brightened her mood considerably. Although Zero was rattled and disturbed by the contents of the letter and the sudden pressure Yuki placed upon him, he loved seeing her radiant smile surface. Each upward curve of her lips momentarily quashed the negativity he was brewing internally.

Curiosity shone in Yuki's eyes as she glanced around while gulping down spoonfuls of the stew. "How does everything stay so clean?" she asked, unable to stop herself.

"It's a curse," Rima said disinterestedly, as though this were nothing special.

"A curse?" Yuki paused, spoon halfway to her mouth. Zero, too, felt cautious to hear such a word applied to the spell. Curses were generally malignant in nature, used for harm rather than good, although he had not heard of more than one or two individuals who had the ability to cast one. It was quite possible that there were many who were proficient enough to wield such magic, but they did not advertise such capabilities.

"I drew a spell circle around the house, banning dust," the golden-haired woman explained with a shrug.

"That doesn't seem like a curse," Yuki replied skeptically.

"Technically, it is one." No further explanation was forthcoming, so Yuki resumed her meal.

Zero watched the pair of spellcasters warily. Despite Kaien's letter and the sword he had left, the knight was unable to trust the strangers completely. Nevertheless, he found himself mildly intrigued by their magic. They were the first people he had met who were so prolific and able to bend the magical energies to their will. As the letter had detailed, the Hios and Kiryuus were inherently magical bloodlines, but their abilities were generally limited. Zero himself felt very little effects from the magic that abounded in his heritage, though he could still feel it warping him, revealing the monstrosity that lurked beneath his skin. It was magic that preserved a life unworthy of such preservation... Rima and Senri did not possess such dark, poisoned magic.

"There was a prophecy…" Senri drawled, and the knight regarded the seer with measuring violet eyes.

Zero did not know much about prophecies, though judging from what little he had gleaned, mostly through reading, their meanings were often jumbled and difficult to pinpoint. It required a seer of immense power to be able to make sense of the foretold events, and an even more powerful seer to definitively say what those events were. The silver-haired man did not expect a great deal of detail from this prophecy.

"What was it about?" Yuki inquired, finishing off her stew and working her way through the hunk of bread that remained.

"You…" Before the princess could ask, however, Senri continued, confirming Zero's thoughts, "It is very difficult to interpret."

"Can you tell us anything about it?"

The mahogany-haired man nodded. "It began with a journey. There were four of you…"

"Yes, our friends who were with us before," the princess informed the seer.

Zero frowned at his bowl. Hanabusa and Yori were probably alright, but he worried nonetheless. The Brackmire Basin was not the most hospitable or forgiving of places. They could be in danger, or even dead, and he would have no way of knowing. He could only hope that they would one day meet again, hopefully at Rido's keep in Seagate.

"Then something terrible happens, I cannot say what." Senri stared off into the distance, eyes unfocused, as he tried to recall the details.

"Yori's home was destroyed," Yuki supplied. "Could it be that?"

"Perhaps," the seer allowed. "A great truth will then be discovered…"

Yuki sent a pointed look towards Zero, which the knight did his best to ignore. That she would consider relinquishing her claim on the throne at all…and to him…? He was nothing. A murderer who had killed in the night and spilt the blood of dozens of men for the entertainment of others. A nobody. His name was the perfect embodiment of himself, a verbal affirmation of his unworthiness. Yuki always felt guilty when she shouldn't, particularly now when she carried the guilt for what her ancestors had done. For Zero, the fall of his own House was necessary. His blood carried with it an abysmal stain. Moreover, Yuki deserved the crown. She had been raised and prepared her whole life to wear it, and Zero would never believe there to be anyone more worthy than she to rule the kingdoms.

Senri continued, "One House will fall, another will rise, and a great battle will decide the destinies of all. Gold will return to the earth and an ancient power will overcome an insidious evil to take the throne." For a brief moment, so transient that Zero was not sure of what he saw, a crimson glow passed through the seer's left eye like a dying ember, vanishing as fast as it had appeared.

"What does it mean?" Yuki leaned forward, chocolate eyes searching the blue ones across the table. "Which Houses? What power?"

"My visions are vague at best. Prophecies seem to bring more clarity to the past than they ever do to the future," Senri apologized. Although Zero had expected this, he was still impressed that the seer was able to ascertain concrete events from the prophecy, which was most likely a series of images without context. "What is certain is that you and your friends are at the heart of these events."

"We have to find them…" Yuki murmured, brow creasing with worry.

"You will…in time," the seer reminded her, "though perhaps not by searching."

Despite his misgivings towards the two mages, the knight was relieved to hear that Hanabusa and Yori would be reunited with them once again. Some of the worry seeped out of his shoulders visibly. He could see Yuki's eyes brighten as well and smiled slightly to himself. Although their journey was a strenuous one, she had not lost the sparkle that shimmered in a translucent aura about her person. Zero was drawn to that aura like a moth to the flame, knowing that it was dangerous and yet somehow unable to stop himself from fluttering closer and closer. One day, it might be the end of him, but it was an end that he chose. He could do nothing else.

"We leave you now," Rima murmured abruptly. "Your arrival has disrupted several runes that must be renewed."

The golden-haired woman stood, gesturing to her companion, and the two left silently. For a moment, static buzzed as heavily as a cloud of flies around them. Zero mulled over the prophecy that Senri had relayed to them, but no insight was forthcoming. The words were puzzles with no further clues. Neither had the seer shared the images that he had seen, although the knight doubted that he would have been able to interpret them if Senri could not.

"We cannot act based on the vision," he murmured at last.

"No… Though I am happy that we'll see Yori and Hanabusa again." Yuki looked at him slyly then. "And that an ancient power will take the throne…"

"You cannot know the meaning of those words." Zero tensed, his posture and expression shutting her out. His violet eyes had become impenetrable granite walls. The Kiryuus may have ruled in history, but never again.

"It makes sense. Besides, don't you think that evil sounds like Kaname? I don't believe it's a coincidence."

"The Kurans are an ancient power too, Yuki." His expression reproached her.

"Not like the Kiryuus. Besides, the Kurans don't have any magic."

The logic she directed at him grated heavily upon his ears. It did not matter to him. Yuki should rule. She should desire to win back and claim the throne. And yet, out of guilt, she was renouncing it all. He stood angrily, eyebrows clashing together in simmering emotion.

"Zero…" As always, the brush of those syllables from the princess' lips caressing his ears was enough to enthrall him totally and completely, attentive to whatever it was she would next say. Even if her next words were vitriol. He was held frozen in place by the sound of her voice alone. "I know I said this before but my thoughts haven't changed. You should be the one to take the throne."

"With all due respect, I decline your proposal," the knight responded flatly, averting his scowling gaze from that innocent, pleading chocolate one.

"You deserve it more than I," she protested. "My ancestors stole it from you; inadvertently I would be, too. You're the rightful heir, whether you want to believe it or not."

"It can't be stolen when it was rightfully taken away from monsters." He grit his teeth. She didn't understand. The magic that imbued his blood was a taint that could never be washed away. There was a reason why magic was feared and why those who practiced it were so often outcast from society. The Kiryuus, in particular, had smudged their name black from its use. That was why it was not a crime but rather justice that his village had been destroyed, along with his parents, his brother…

"You're not—"

He cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Yes, I am. Yuki, I am a monster, my heritage is the same. People were afraid of my ancestors for good reason. Monsters don't deserve to rule. You've seen the proof of such lineage yourself… I should be dead a thousand times over but there's something dark inside me that keeps me alive…" Something nefarious, something dreadful, something that squirmed through his veins just beneath his skin. Something that had compelled him to kill again and again, driving forward the force of his life despite his desire to end it, despite his self-loathing and abhorrence each and every time he took another life. "Kaname might have killed me if I had been human. But I'm not quite that."

"You're far from being a monster, Zero. I think you would make a great leader. And… I want _you_ as our rightful king."

For an instant, the ire dissipated, replaced by a bottomless sorrow that had crystallized inside him into the burden that he carried each and every day. His heart ached, burned, throbbed. She wasn't proposing that she wanted to be with him, or that there was even the barest hope of romantic feelings, but the implications of her desire to see him on the throne stuck in his chest like a spear-head. There was nothing more that he wanted, nothing more he could possibly dream of, than living the rest of his life freely and openly at her side. Yet he did not wish for the crown, particularly not when Yuki did not love him.

Zero breathed in deeply, the acuity of such thoughts fizzling down to a dull, controlled murmur in the back of his mind. "…And I believe you're the rightful queen. You deserve such a title and the right to fight for your home which was stolen from you."

"It's not home without you." She gave him a tight, bitter smile, eyes tinged with something forlorn and intangible that he could not decipher.

"I will always be by your side, Yuki," he told her, as he had assured her before. Regardless of the look in her eyes, he would not confuse her sadness with anything more than friendship. To do so would only deepen the catacomb of wounds that riddled through the tattered remains of his heart.

The princess blew out a sigh and stood as well. Then she rounded on him, expression fiercely determined as she declared, "Then teach me how to fight."

Zero's brows raised a couple of centimeters in surprise. Yuki had never expressed a real interest in learning to fight before. Occasionally she had tried her hand at archery or swordplay, but never for long. Naturally, such a pastime would have been frowned upon by the court, although there were a few noble ladies who had learned the basics of self-defense. However, to teach her to fight now would be an arduous task and he did not want her close enough to danger that she would need to rely on such skills.

When he didn't immediately reply, she added, "Besides, we have a spare sword now."

That was true, though Yuki wasn't strong enough to wield it now or perhaps ever. Squires and knights-in-training always began with the lighter, wooden blades. Nevertheless…from the set of her shoulders and the spark of fire in her chocolate eyes, he could see that she was not going to back down. He could feel himself giving in to her already, his protestations falling away unspoken. At last he nodded.

Yuki beamed, explaining, "I want to be able to protect the people I care about. I won't sit by idly and watch tragedy strike again and again."

She stepped forward then until she came beside him, reaching and drawing the knife that Zero kept sheathed on the right side of his belt. Then, moving backwards to stand a few feet away from him, she pronounced, "If it falls to me to lead the Kingdoms, I cannot stay the same. A good ruler must change for the benefit of their people."

The petite girl lifted the knife, the blade glinting silver in the lowlight. One hand caught her long, silky dark hair, twisting it over her left shoulder as she brought up the knife. The knight, trapped by hesitancy, watched as those deep brown waves fell slowly to the floor, gradually adding to the mound of regrets and indecisions that had brought her here. Shaking her head, the ends of her hair brushing loosely across the tops of her shoulders, Yuki looked a little more confident, a little more primed for the challenges that lie ahead. And as always, she was beautiful.

She came forward then, replacing the dagger in his belt, and announced, "I am ready to learn, Zero. I am ready to fight. I am ready to be stronger than I have been before. Please teach me."

* * *

 **AN:** Finally, am I right? That only took, what, 46 chapters for Yuki to man up? XD There are slow burn fics...and then there's this fic. Which is a horrible monstrosity of long, slow torture. LOL. Btw, reviews for the last chapter brought up an interesting question: who do you think Kaname will marry? His options are running kinda low right now haha. He shoulda just married Takuma-bc Takuma is the only one who'd love him at the rate he's going!


	47. 47 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

Hanabusa paused to catch his breath, sighing as he wiped more moisture from his brow. If he thought a summer afternoon in the swamp was oppressive, the suffocating, stifling air of the barn was even more so. He was grateful that he did not have to work after today, as he and Yori were only staying until the morning. They had only rested at the hostel for two nights, but they couldn't afford to linger. Doing so would make it even more difficult for them to rejoin Yuki and Zero.

His thoughts quickly returned to the heat, however. He exited the barn, moving towards the back of the house where Beruka and Kaze had placed a barrel of water for him and Yori to share as they worked through their chores. Hanabusa felt as though he was laid out on a frying pan. The castle in Ashgate might have gotten stuffy at times, but it had never been as nightmarishly hot as this. Unfortunately, the torture was inescapable since he had been employed by Kaze to conduct some much-needed repairs on the barn. By this point, the clean clothes Beruka had given him had been soaked so thoroughly with sweat that the top had plastered itself against him like a second layer of whitish, peeling skin. Even his hair was stuck against his head, drenched with sweat.

He wasn't the only one who had to endure the vicious summer sun, though. Yori had been assigned to water the plants in the greenhouse. He hadn't been in the glass box himself, but he assumed it was every bit as unbearable as the barn. Now, she was emerging from the greenhouse, looking uncomfortable in the heat even if she wasn't sweating enough to fill a canteen like he was. With that thought, he grimaced as he realized he had left his canteen back in the barn. The barrel of water stood at attention, mocking him as he stared across the sun-baked yard towards the barn in horror. The distance between him and that building seemed insurmountable, short as it was.

Yori approached, casting a pitying look his way. She hesitated, shaking her canteen and listening to the slosh of liquid within. There was still a little bit of water left, taunting him just as the barrel did. Beruka had counseled them to only drink the filtered water they kept in the house, though as time wore on Hanabusa found the swamp water increasingly tempting. With a sigh, he acknowledged that he would have to make the trip to the barn and back again if he wanted water.

To his surprise, Yori offered him the remains of her canteen. "Here," she said simply, wordlessly holding out the grey container.

He could not express the surge of gratitude he felt. Quickly, he accepted the canteen and took a swallow of the water. As thirsty as he was, the warm liquid tasted better than the most exquisite wine. When he finished off the water in the canteen, he refilled it in the barrel and passed it back to Yori, who also seemed grateful for the short respite from chores. Hanabusa had been working since early that morning and, despite his knight training that kept him in good form, the task was unfamiliar to him and the sun unsympathetic. Still, he had not uttered a word of complaint, a fact which surprised him. Somehow, menial labor didn't seem quite so bad after losing the princess he had been sworn to protect and then getting captured by a sadistic child…

"Thanks," he finally managed, closing his eyes and taking a moment to rest.

"I guess there's a reason the biggest creature here is a lizard," Yori mused, lips twisting into a scowl as she regarded the sun.

He wasn't sure if she had meant to be funny, but her words provoked a hoarse laugh. In response, her lips twitched upwards for what might have been the first smile she had given him since their escape from Rei Touma. But then again, he supposed it would be hard to smile after hearing about the massacre of one's entire home and family.

"If we stay here much longer we'll start to look like them," he quipped, pretending to inspect an arm. "I might already be getting a few scales."

"Do those lizards have a name?" she asked. He could see that she was making an effort to have a conversation. He was grateful, though exhausted enough that he wouldn't have minded silence either. Nevertheless, her effort touched him.

"The lizards?" I'm sure they do. I don't know what it is though."

"They're called crocodylus," Beruka informed them as she approached from the back door of the hostel. "But most folk around here call them supper."

Hanabusa blanched. "They have…an interesting flavor." He recalled their lizard meal with distaste. Maybe charring the beast hadn't been the way to go, though the taste had still been relatively unpleasant even scorched beyond flavor.

"You have to be careful hunting them, though. The biggest one I saw was nearly 24 feet long, but I heard a guest say they saw one bigger, once. They're mean, too. They'll attack you and maybe even eat you, so it's better to go after the young ones," the elder cautioned.

He shuddered. Most of the lizards Rei and his men had brought down were quite small. He didn't want to imagine a full-grown adult at 24 feet long, though.

"Come on in and take a break," Beruka said. "Wash up and grab some food. Kaze and I have another job for you two."

"If you give me soap I can probably provide my own bathwater…" The knight gestured to himself with a grimace.

Beruka chortled and motioned for them to come inside with her. Hanabusa was only too glad to comply. Inside the hostel the air was much cooler. Since they were sheltered from the direct onslaught of the sun, the relief was instantaneous. Sighing thankfully for the dim, shaded hallway, he eagerly followed Beruka to the washrooms, where she had already laid out clean clothes. Blinking away the green splotches that obscured his vision after being outside, he picked up the bundle Beruka pointed out, another set of basic work clothes that she kept for her guests.

"You already know how this works, so I'll leave you to it. After you're cleaned up, come find me. I should be in the kitchen," the woman told them and ducked out.

The washroom was an interesting place, ingenious even. The floor was sloped to a drain in the middle and the room was partitioned with thick sliding covers for privacy. Beruka had told them she usually sent women to the right side of the room and men to left, but it didn't particularly matter. Despite the option, Hanabusa veered left, closing the partition behind him with a dull scraping sound. Spying the tub already filled, the knight smiled. Beruka did not miss details. She was an excellent hostess and had a sixth sense for timing. But then again, having run a hostel for twenty years, he supposed she would develop such an instinct.

Already anticipating the water, the knight peeled off the sweat-soaked garments and discarded them in the basket placed inside the washroom for just such a purpose. Back in the capital, Hanabusa had been accustomed to washing daily if not twice or sometimes more depending on the occasion, though he had never been quite as dirty or sweaty as he had been since he left Ashgate. There was dirt embedded under his fingernails he wasn't sure he would ever fully remove, though he'd tried. Now, stepping into the water, he was forced to realize how far his standards of cleanliness had dropped. His mother would have been outraged. Whenever he made it home, he vowed to have the longest, hardest scrubbing of his life. Otherwise, he might really start to resemble the crocodylus that dwelled in the swamp.

Sinking into the tub, the knight began to relax his muscles one by one. His hands were actually worse for wear than the rest of his body, as many of the tools he'd used to repair the barn had been new to him. Back in the capital, he would have soaked for a while. However, he knew that Beruka was preparing a meal and he did not wish to keep her waiting, so he began to scrub and wash his hair almost immediately.

He wondered if the other guest, a crotchety, grizzled old man with a limp named Renji, would join them for their meal. Renji preferred solitude, but Hanabusa had met him by chance early that morning. Renji owned a number of ravens and was travelling to Drosera to join the courier service there. For a small sum of their dwindling money supply, Hanabusa had sent a raven to his cousin Akatsuki in the capital. It was all he could think to do, and at least his cousin could inform his family that he lived, even if the communication only went one way. Unfortunately, it would probably be too risky to send a raven directly to his parents.

He finished washing and sunk back down into the water for another minute, enjoying every second that he had to relax and cool off. The luxuries of courtly life were going to feel a hundred times better when he returned. The simple pleasures that he had taken for granted before seemed like paradise now. The only facet of the court that he did not miss was the pretense and pomp that were a constant necessity. Such etiquette was tiresome, and the empty conversations bored him to tears.

Loud banging somewhere outside the washroom interrupted his rinse. The noise was accompanied by shouts, the voices pitched surprisingly high. Puzzled, he paused, sitting still as he attempted to discover the cause of the commotion. Something crashed and then he was already out of the water, drying himself off as quickly as he could with the towel Beruka had left him and pulling on what he could of his clothes. He managed his pants before he gave up, grabbing the mop at the entry of the washroom as he bounded towards the door.

Kaze and Beruka were at the front door, faced with a throng of dirty, destitute children ranging in age from perhaps fourteen to six. They were skinny, boney, and dressed in rags. The hollows under their eyes told Hanabusa that they most likely hadn't eaten much in a long time. Most of the group were boys, though a few girls peered out with hostile eyes. All in all, they probably numbered somewhere between eight to twelve. On the floor by Beruka's feet was a frying pan, the source of the crash.

"We only feed those who are willing to work," Kaze was telling the children sternly.

The boy at the front of the group, a surly-faced lad of no more than thirteen or fourteen, spat at the old man's feet. "Gimme some food, or else," the child threatened.

"That's no way to treat your elders," the blond knight snapped, stepping forward as menacingly as possible with the mop in hand. Beruka and Kaze moved back a pace or two to give him space.

"Wha'cha gonna do, beat me with that stick?" the boy sneered.

"Damn right," he affirmed, jabbing the child in the chest hard enough to make him stumble back. The boys behind him supported him, keeping their leader from falling, though they seemed a little intimidated.

"Yer gonna regret this!" the boy exclaimed fiercely.

"If you say so," he replied, slamming the door in the child's face.

"Thank you, thank you," Beruka babbled immediately.

"Those children are orphans," Kaze explained.

Beruka shook her head. "They came once before and ate themselves sick. We even let them sleep in the house for the night. But, come morning, they ran off, even though we asked them to help us in return. I do feel bad for them...but we can't feed them for nothing..."

"Well, they're gone now," the knight said.

"Yes, thanks to you."

"The mop was a nice touch," a fourth voice remarked, and Hanabusa saw that Yori had joined them at some point. In her hand was the long knife that the old woman used to cut vegetables.

He raised an eyebrow at the blade. "Where did you find that?"

"On the counter…"

He mentally berated himself for choosing a mop when an abundance of knives was readily available. Yori seemed able to keep an even head no matter what the emergency. Himself, however… He was the one to jump up and grab the mop like an impulsive squire. Some things never changed, he supposed.

"Well, I'm very scary with a mop." He brandished it playfully.

Beruka chuckled. "Indeed, I would be very scared if I left the mopping to you."

"Hey!" he exclaimed, and the four of them laughed, even Yori. Her laugh was more subdued, a slight crinkling of her eyes and a brief, quiet laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. He smiled, relieved that her spirit had not been so entirely crushed that she could not laugh.

"Lunch will be ready momentarily," Beruka told them, picking up the frying pan from the floor.

"Thank you," Hanabusa and Yori responded, nearly in unison, and then the knight added, "I'll be back in just a moment."

The Aidou lord left the entry, returning to the washroom to replace the mop where he had found it and finish attiring himself. When that was done, he returned to the kitchen, where Yori was setting the table as Beruka and Kaze began setting out several delicious-looking dishes. There was salad, fruit, bread, and some thin slices of meat. As soon as he was able, Hanabusa sat and helped himself, attempting to balance manners with his ravenous hunger.

"You said you had another task for us?" Yori asked as she placed a slice of the meat on a piece of bread and bit into the corner.

"Yes." Beruka nodded. "There's a plant that grows in the swamps that makes a healing salve. We're running low, so we were hoping you could gather some for us. It only requires one person to pick the plant but you should never venture into the mire alone. The crocodylus are extremely territorial. You'll need to take your weapons, just in case. And if you can manage to kill a small crocodylus, we would be much obliged."

"What does the plant look like?" Yori wanted to know.

"It's a small yellow flower. We call it Wishbloom. You can't miss it. There's only one yellow flower that grows around here."

"They're very small and stay close to the ground, usually around the water," Beruka continued. "We need the whole plant except the roots."

Hanabusa swallowed his mouthful, then, "We can do that."

"Thank you for all the help you've given us," Kaze told them with gratitude.

The old woman nodded. "Indeed, you've been most helpful. It's been a long while since we had such able-bodied visitors to help with the chores."

"Well, we're very grateful to you as well," the knight answered sincerely.

For a little while, the four ate in silence. Hanabusa tried to curb his appetite, not wanting to diminish the elder couple's resources too much, but Beruka plied him with more food until he was full. Afterwards, the older woman brought some food up to Renji, and Hanabusa and Yori retrieved their weapons before venturing out into the swamp to collect Wishbloom. Hanabusa trusted Beruka and Kaze, but he did not trust Renji, who had greedily eyed the gold the blond had given him earlier, so the knight also brought along the pouch of gold and the ring with his family crest, which he tucked away into a little pocket on his belt. On their way out, Kaze gave them each a pair of canteens, which they placed in a small pack that Hanabusa carried on his back, as well as a soft leather pouch for the flowers.

As soon as the knight had passed through the doorway and out into the yard, he could feel the sunlight weighing down on him once again. With a sigh of regret and reluctance, he forced his feet onward, out towards the greenish, insect-infested waters that glimmered not far away. Everything about the mire was off-putting, from the sight to the sounds to the smell… How the Brackmire Basin had ever become one of the Nine Kingdoms, he wasn't sure. Only someone as twisted as Rei Touma would want to rule over a swamp.

As they approached the water, Hanabusa kept a keen eye out for any movement in or out of the water. He had never seen a live crocodylus and hoped that he could leave the Basin without that particular experience. The Indigo Mountains were home to bears, wolves, and cougars, but all of those seemed more pleasant than a vicious, 24 foot long reptile with enormous teeth. Although, if he thought about it, the Mountains were also inhabited with a few types of poisonous snakes and spiders… Somehow, none of them seemed as scary or dangerous.

The pair worked their way around the first stand of water, which was more of a smallish pond, and found nothing. A few yards away, the water stretched out as far as they could see both left and right. There, along the bank, Yori found the first cluster of flowers. They were indeed small, no bigger than a fingernail, growing alongside a mossy rock. With deft fingers, Yori plucked the plant from the ground and stowed it in the pouch, which the knight had attached to his belt.

"How much of this do you think we need?" he asked, measuring the depth of the pouch. This handful of flowers barely covered its bottom.

"We should fill the pouch," Yori said, as he had known and feared she would. He had not complained the first time he had been put to work; this time, however, he could taste the irritation on the back of his tongue. He was tired of the heat and the onslaught of bugs that hung around him in a bustling black fog.

Grumbling, he moved further along the bank, checking around rocks for more Wishbloom. He found some here and there, although Yori had more luck. The plant grew sporadically wherever there was shade: sometimes by rocks, sometimes around reeds or other foliage. In the distance, a dark shape indicated a denser population of trees, where he was sure the flower would grow in more abundance, but the trip would have required the horse, and he wanted the creature to rest as much as possible before they continued on the next day.

"I think this should be enough," Yori declared at last, squishing the last of the flowers down into the pouch and tying it shut.

"Thank goodness," Hanabusa muttered, wiping his brow with a sleeve. He was already sweating his way through another set of clothes.

"Drink some water and we'll head back," the auburn-haired girl suggested, pulling a pair of canteens from the knight's backpack and handing one to him.

He drank thirstily, gulping down half the bottle before handing it back to Yori, who returned it to the bag. Already, he was imagining another bath, followed by dinner, and then sleep… It was especially nice to sleep again in a bed, on a mattress, rather than on the hard ground. Those thoughts spurring him, he was anxious to go back to the hostel.

"Alright, let's go." Some of his eagerness was creeping into his tone.

Yori inclined her head in agreement and the two of them turned back the way they had come. They weren't terribly far from the hostel, although the building had become much smaller in the distance. Judging from its size, it would probably take half to three-quarters of an hour to walk back. Before the resignation could set in, however, he saw smoke rising from the house. The more they neared it, the greater the quantity of smoke, until at last a plume of thick, dark smoke extended column-like into the sky.

Beside him, he heard Yori gasp. His eyes met hers, startled wide as saucers, and then both of them took off at a run towards the burning building.

* * *

 **AN:** Cliffhanger, anyone?


	48. 48 Maria

**AN:** Yáll are gonna kill me for the length of this chapter... D: It's short, like Maria...hur hur -shots fired.- LOL, I hope you like it anyway.

* * *

 **MARIA**

 _Maria's eyes snapped open. Only, her eyes were not her own, but rather the eyes of a great-winged bird. Beneath her stretched a carpet of rich green interspersed with the darker forms of trees and the dark shimmer of water in the moonlight. The cool night air ruffled her feathers and she beat her wings once, her aerodynamic body gliding as smoothly through the air as a knife through butter. With these new eyes, the countryside stood out in acute clarity. Below, she spotted the camp her human body now rested in, under the cover of a tent set up by the guards Shizuka had assigned. And then she was away, reveling in the freedom of flight as she sped towards the border that Lazuli Lakes shared with the Brackmire Basin. She wanted to see for herself this new place she was to call home._

 _Gradually, the lush green of the Souen lands melted away into shades of dark brown, illuminated only by the sickly pallor of the waxing crescent moon. Here, the water below glowed with eerie luminescence under the caress of the moonlight. Occasionally, she passed a small cluster of worn, battered huts, a difference from the sprawling towns that dotted Lazuli Lakes. Once, she saw a long, dark shape crawl through the reeds and dove lower to identify it as an astonishingly large and menacing lizard. Although she knew that she was in no danger since she was flying above its head and out of reach, Maria still flapped her wings rapidly, lifting herself higher into the air as she left the creature behind._

 _Enjoying the play of the wind through her feathers, Maria felt herself relax. Sometimes, she wished she could stay this way, in the shape of an owl, and leave her human body behind. Regretfully, she knew it was only a dream and she must wake eventually. She understood, too, that if she stayed as an owl she could never be with Ichiru the way she longed to. Although, perhaps, he might care for her as a cherished pet more than he ever had as a friend..._

 _Rising and dipping through the wind's currents, Maria allowed herself to be carried aimlessly through the night sky. Above, she could see the net of twinkling stars cast over the earth; an array of bright ornaments for the moon. Their light splayed silvery fingers through the fog that was currently below her, a mist thick enough that her enhanced eyes could not see through. A chill ran along her spine as she passed overhead, pouring sinister, meaningless syllables into her ears that scratched and scraped against one another like the shriek of a banshee. Her animal instincts drove her away from the fog in a frenzy, and by the time she had calmed she found herself now overlooking a lone house in the middle of the swamp. Close by the house stood what seemed to be a barn and a strange building constructed entirely of glass. She studied it for a moment curiously before moving on, finding it to be unworthy of prolonged observation._

 _Within her, Maria felt hunger stirring. The owl wanted to eat, and she permitted the bird to take control of its senses, eyes darting back and forth across the swamp for any sign of life. The Hio noble used the time to reflect on the Basin itself. This inhospitable, muddy expanse would most likely become her home. Unlike the capital city, the mire was entirely unfamiliar to her. But perhaps she did not mind such a thing, because then she would have less chance to trigger memories of the Amaranthine Peaks and, of course, of Ichiru..._

 _The owl's eyes locked on the small form of a rodent hopping through the reeds. From this distance, she was amazed by how vividly she could spy the creature. Suddenly, her wings folded against her sides as she plummeted to the earth. For a moment, fear nearly overpowered all her senses, and then just as quickly she felt exhilaration bubble up in its place. The reeds were growing larger as she closed in on her target and she could feel her speed increasing exponentially as she fell. Her claws extended in anticipation. And then, abruptly, she felt her wings snap outwards, slowing her downward plunge just as the rodent squealed in terror and her talons snatched it from safety, already flying away towards the branches of a tree to enjoy her meal. She found purchase on a branch, settling near the top of the tree before she stabbed her beak downward, the sharp taste of hot blood filling her mouth as the rodent screamed its last._

Maria jerked up in bed, panting and sweating, fists clenched in the thin sheet under which she slept. For a moment, she could still feel the adrenaline lacing her blood and the squirming body of the animal within her palms. Carefully, she drew in slow, measured breaths, calming herself as she fully broke from sleep. The dream had been strong this time.

It made sense, why she had dreamed of being an owl with even more clarity than before. Soon, they would be crossing the border into the Brackmire Basin, where she was to meet her future husband, the young Lord Rei Touma. And equally soon, Ichiru would be marrying Shizuka... If there was ever a time that she wanted to escape reality and fly away, it was now. But she wasn't sure that it was normal to dream with such detail... With such... _Realistic sensation_. Even now, she still felt the slight pressure of feathers against her skin and the metallic taste of blood on her tongue.

Maria had never told Shizuka about her dreams. Only once, when she was younger, had she mentioned it. Naturally, her cousin had believed them to be the simple fantasies of a child. Maybe that was all they were, after all. She laid back down slowly, staring at the fabric ceiling of her tent. She didn't want to be Rei Touma's wife. She didn't want to be a noble lady, either. In fact, deep down, maybe she didn't even want to be human. All she wanted was to be free to make her own choices and to stay by Ichiru's side. Yet, in the short time since she and her cousin had arrived in the capital, all of her hopes had been dashed. The further east she traveled, the more disconnected she became with her former life back in Sakura Hall.

Feeling the prick of hot tears against the back of her eyes, she took a steadying breath and trembled with the fatigue and weakness that began to debilitate her. Just dreaming sapped all of her strength, it seemed. She was really such a fragile, insignificant creature... Perhaps it would be a mercy when finally she breathed her last breath and passed out of this life.

Her eyelids fell shut as though weighed down with heavy rocks. For a moment, she hoped that sleep would carry her off again on the wings of a bird. In the next moment though, feeling exhausted, she only wanted to drop into a black abyss of sleep. There, on the brink between slumber and consciousness, she thought she could sense the presence of a dozen owls just beyond the horizon of her humanity.

* * *

 **AN:** Don't forget to review! Also, if you like Shima don't forget to check out my new fic _The Bluest Eyes_ and leave me some much-needed feedback! Writing Shima is a HUGE challenge!


	49. 49 Yori

**YORI**

No.

 _Not again_.

No.

 _No, please... Please, I can't do anything..._ Her thoughts begged for mercy, begged for release from the blackened pit into which she was dropping once more. The world was going up in flames, just like the hostel, just like her home, just like the fragile stitches she had used to sew together her broken heart. But now...now she could feel it rupture, shattering outward again in a thousand microscopic pieces that she could never hope to recover. She had thought that she could not possibly fall any further and then, abruptly, the floor had dropped out from under her feet once again.

Her feet halted suddenly, as though she had hit an invisible barrier, and she felt her skin go cold. The air in her lungs felt raw, damaged, and toxic. The house was burning, as well as the barn beside it. She had seen that before, though now that she was only a couple of yards away the smoke was thicker and heavier. And now... Now she could see Kaze's body, crumpled like a child's doll, in the yard. He seemed so much smaller in death, like a heap of rags that had been tossed out when they were no longer useful. Around him, the dirt drank in a deep red-brown stain; the liquid remnants of the old man's life. Yet far, far worse...were the screams emanating from the hostel, which had been barricaded shut with tools and bales of flaming hay from the barn. Even as she heard them, the screaming seemed to become more shrill and then cut off sharply.

How could this happen again? Was she cursed? Was her existence so terrible that it must be charred to ash, along with everything it touched? It was too late, she knew that it was, and yet for a moment her mind raced, trying to think of some way she might pull Beruka from the flames. There was not. The burns would have been too much, even if Yori had been able to rescue her... She would have been dead within moments anyway. Yori felt her fists clench. Despite that, despite the truth which stood before her, encapsulated in choking black smoke, her impotence speared through her.

Throwing off her bow and quiver in a pile beside her, she kicked the leather case that held her arrows with a sudden burst of rage. Why could she not save anyone? Why was she rendered helpless time and time again, trapped in wrong decisions that couldn't be undone? She wanted to scream, but at the same time had no voice to do so. Powerless. Yes... She was forever powerless, forever the spectator, watching helplessly as the world burned. She kicked the quiver again, lashing out at it as her inability to act suffocated her.

A pair of arms wrapped her around her then from behind and a familiar voice murmured in a hoarse murmur, "This isn't our fault..." She wasn't sure if the knight was comforting himself or her.

For a moment, she wanted to fight him, to shout that it _was_ their fault, that they had left Kaze and Beruka alone, that they had plainly heard the threats that the children had directed towards the older couple. After all, who else could have done this but them? She wanted to jerk away and take her frustration out on the quiver of arrows that was now out of reach of her foot. Her brain was feverish, narrowing to a tunnel of guilt and fury and sorrow so jumbled that she could no longer distinguish one from the other. So she only shook her head violently, trembling until at last her lips unlocked enough to whisper, "We should have been here. We heard what the children said..."

In an emotional maelstrom it seemed that Hanabusa's arms were like the bars of a cage, holding her there helpless as the roof began to cave in and the barn began to collapse. Smoke billowed and rolled away from them, stirred into a morbid, black concoction by the slight breeze. His words were laced with a terrifying, nightmarish logic that she did not wish to accept as he said, "There's no way we could have known. If the children are responsible for this, I would have expected them to try something after dark, but they were obviously watching us and waiting for the opportunity. When we left...that's what they were waiting for."

Yori shook her head again, though his words echoed the same truth she already knew...the one she had not wanted to accept. Yori felt the anger drain from her like the blood from Kaze's body. As the flames devoured the house, that place of peace in the middle of the forsaken swamp, she saw within the dancing tongues of fire the faces of her townspeople, pale with fear, fleeing from The Vale. She saw her father, cut down before her eyes, his blood spilling out to color the inferno red-orange. And she saw her half-siblings, at first smiling and then with their eyes as black and empty as graves. As she watched, the images blurred and vanished, coursing down her cheeks in hot, watery tracks. There was no way she could have saved them. Not them, or Kaze or Beruka... No one...

She didn't want to accept her own powerlessness, her own weakness. She wanted to be stronger, to be able to protect the people she cared about. Instead, she watched them burn, not once but twice. And although she knew ultimately she was not to blame, she felt as though there was something more she might have done. Anything... Something that might have saved at least one other person, other than herself... It was not fair, not fair that _she_ should be the one to survive. There were so many others, so many children... But their lives had been sacrificed and hers had been spared. She had to bear the burden of their memories alone.

 _It should have been me. Not them... Not them._ She wanted it to end, this plunge into an abyss of bottomless sorrow. She could feel herself falling, deeper and deeper into slippery darkness, but there was no handhold, nothing to stop the fall. Each time she thought she might be able to move on, the tide of emotions pulled her back under once more.

Concentrating only on the inhale and exhale of her breath, Yori fought to control the tide of emotions that threatened to incapacitate her. Even though she had sworn to herself that she would never, ever allow a travesty like the one that had passed in The Vale to occur again, this one had happened so rapidly that she had been unable to act before it had become irreversible. Just like the Vale, it was over before it had begun...over before she could act.

"I should have foreseen this." Her lips and tongue felt numb as they produced the words.

"How...? You're only human, Yori... Or should I have seen it, too?" Hanabusa demanded softly. "Should I have foreseen this, and the time before, and when Kaien died, and everything that has passed..?"

She swallowed hard. "No." The denial stuck in her throat.

"The past is the past. There's nothing you or I or anyone else can do to change it. It's the future that's worth fighting for."

 _And what if the future is the same..?_ A chain of tragedy that she could not break or change.

Yori did not realize she had spoken the words aloud until the knight answered, "To prevent that... We are taught this as knights in training. As my instructor told me, turn your fear and anger into fuel, your failures into teachers, your weaknesses into reasons to keep fighting. Don't waste your pain."

She quieted, the words turning over in her mind again and again. She didn't need Hanabusa to tell her that she couldn't change the past or that she should make use of her pain to move forward, but somehow, hearing someone else say those words, she couldn't help but acknowledge them as truth. Maybe there was still time to learn, to change the future, to become stronger... She still felt sickeningly small and vulnerable, but... But. She didn't have to remain this way. Maybe she was only bent after all and not quite broken. Maybe by accepting the past she could finally begin to walk towards the future.

Rubbing away her tears fiercely, she sucked in a breath, shoulders straightening a little. Against her back, she could feel the very faint, comforting beat of Hanabusa's heart thudding, reassuring her. She focused on that rhythm for a brief moment as the bloody flames gradually reduced the hostel to char and bone before her eyes. And then she stepped away from him, standing on her own. She promised herself then that she would be stronger, that she would learn from her mistakes. She didn't want to delude herself into thinking that she wouldn't allow tragedy to pass again, but she would certainly do everything in her power to prevent it.

"Yori," Hanabusa's tone was urgent this time, and as she glanced at him she immediately noted the tension in his face and shoulders. "Quickly, get your bow and arrows." His eyes were tracking something in the distance with hawkish attention.

Her body responded automatically, trusting him instinctively even when her mind had not quite caught up. She picked up the items, slinging them over her shoulders securely before she noticed the group of children that had gathered between the house and the barn, passing indiscernible objects amongst themselves. Her brain assessed the situation in an instant. These were the same children Hanabusa had scared off before. Most likely, they were the culprits of the crime, as well. She could think of no others who would have a reason to burn down both the hostel and the barn or to kill Kaze in cold blood.

"Carefully, let's move," the knight suggested.

Neither fast nor slow, the pair began to head away from the hostel. Yori understood that he did not wish to draw attention to them, though she also felt that they were too exposed and would almost certainly be discovered. Briefly, she wondered if the horse had escaped the fire, and then decided she most likely did not wish to know the answer. Fortunately, at the very least, none of their valuable possessions had been lost, although neither did they have any food rations. The water Kaze and Beruka had given them would have to last them until they found a means to replace it.

A shout reached out towards them, crackling across the open air. Yori turned her head to see the group of children point at the pair before the entire mob began to sprint in their direction. The Wakaba noble did not need Hanabusa's prompting to take off at a run, heading towards the trees they had spotted earlier while searching for Wishbloom. Although the swamp was not absent of brush and trees , they were not dense enough to shelter the nobles.

Several times, Yori thought she might lose her footing on the slick, marshy ground. Not only was the ground muddy and wet, but her bow and arrow quiver offset her balance, knocking rhythmically against her back. She hadn't had time to properly tighten the straps, and the impact with every stride was jarring. Behind her, however, she could hear the yells of the children, and that sound alone spurred her forward. Once, she glanced back to ensure that Hanabusa was behind her, though she did not doubt his ability to keep up, even if she was a little faster than him.

By the time Yori and Hanabusa hit the tree line, both were out of breath and panting heavily. The auburn-haired girl did her best to take in deep breaths, attempting to lessen the seemingly deafening sound of her breathing while still hurrying. The ground underfoot was still that of a swamp, though the number of trees and undergrowth was significantly higher than what it had been around the hostel. Yori was able to slip through the trees with more ease here, a woodland wraith accustomed to being light and silent on her feet The blond knight did not fare quite as well, though he kept up with her pace reasonably well and without creating as much of a ruckus as she had feared.

It wasn't long, however, before the children reached the trees as well. She heard them as an explosion of noise, of twigs breaking and water splashing. Despite their lead, the mob was gaining on them, little by little, and Yori knew that she and Hanabusa were greatly outnumbered, even if more experienced. And... She shuddered at the merest brush of the thought. She did not want to hurt or kill children, whether it be in self-defense or not.

A rock sailed past her shoulder and she felt another strike the back of her thigh, breaking her stride for a moment as she stumbled on the tangle of roots and vines underfoot. Beside her, she heard the knight curse beneath his breath as he was hit, too, although she did not see where. In a split-second decision, Yori ducked to the side, pulling Hanabusa after her into the heavier foliage to their left. Thorns pricked at her skin from the shrubs that grew close to the ground in abundance. A moment later, they were moving as rapidly as possible through the winding wetland, still pursued, although at a greater distance now, by the children.

Without warning, Hanabusa's hand clamped around her forearm, jerking her to the right and dragging her down where the swamp dipped and sloped to create a ditch. Yori hit the ground hard and was not given even a moment to recover before the Aidou lord was shoving her into a hollow beneath a fallen tree. He then crammed himself in as well, shielding her with his body where the tree was split open on one side. If the children passed by, expecting them to still be running, they would miss the two bodies hiding beneath the tree. However...if the children stopped to search the area, Yori was certain that they would be discovered.

Above them, Yori heard feet pound into the dirt, rushing onward. She tensed, her entire body quivering anxiously. She couldn't kill a child, even one that clearly meant her harm. Even one who had slaughtered the innocent elderly couple who ran the hostel, their guest, and probably the horse as well... Swallowing hard and keeping her breathing as muffled as possible, she waited in the horrific interim as the children passed overhead.

"Where did they go?" a voice belonging to what Yori judged to be one of the older boys asked. Footsteps halted over Yori and Hanabusa's heads as a sprinkle of muddy dirt rained down on them.

"They were running this way," a second voice, this one feminine, replied.

"We can't let them get away. They saw what we did... They could tell someone." A pause. "And the blond one hit me with a broom," he growled angrily.

"Maybe they're hiding?" the girl proposed.

"We should look," the boy agreed. "You still have that knife?"

"Yes."

 _Please_ , she begged mentally, _please let them pass us by_.

"Good. If you see them, give the signal. You know what to do," the boy instructed.

"Where should I look?" the girl was inquiring.

"They were just ahead of us. Let's start over there." Presumably, the boy pointed somewhere, and the pair moved off from over the hiding spot and further into the swamp.

Moments passed, agonizing in length, each one scalding hotly against her frayed nerves. There were voices yelling in the distance for a while, and then silence. Even in the quiet, every bird call, every sound made Yori flinch, fingers sporadically clenching against the mud. Once, a twig snapped nearby, and she nearly tasted her heart in her mouth, terrified of what she might do to escape death at the hands of the mob.

Dusk was beginning to settle like dust across the swamp by the time the knight relaxed, rolling onto his back with an audible exhalation of breath after removing his pack. Yori could not do the same, encumbered with her weapons, but she sighed as well, shutting her eyes and allowing the rest of the adrenaline seep out of her veins.

"The water isn't deep here," the blond observed in a whisper, and her eyes flicked to the small, greenish puddle of water at the bottom of the natural indentation the earth made here. "Maybe we should wait them out here for the night just in case. From what I understand about them, there shouldn't be any crocodylus with water this shallow."

Hearing his proposal, she half wanted to laugh and half wanted to cry. Abruptly, she had remembered that until a few short weeks ago she had taken for granted sleeping in a bed each night, beneath a roof, safely high in the trees. Now...she was lucky to have a roof over her head or a bed to sleep on. The swamp was uncomfortably humid at night despite the respite from the sun, and the insects preyed upon her with a vicious, insatiable hunger. But she couldn't deny that he was probably right to stay where they were. It was already dark and she knew there was no one within walking distance. And, of course, it was likely the children were still nearby.

Stiffly, she removed her bow and quiver, hefting them further up into the hollow where it was too narrow for a person to fit. At the very least she was exhausted. Hanabusa dug around in the backpack and pulled out two canteens, handing her one before drinking thirstily from the other. Neither of them drank as much as they would have liked since, rather unfortunately, the four bottles of water they had was all the filtered water they possessed or were likely to get anytime soon.

Replacing the canteens in the pack, Hanabusa muttered, "I'm starting to hate kids."

"Basin kids," Yori qualified.

"You're right. It's the swamp water. It turns them into demons."

She smiled tightly, settling down as comfortably as she could in the dirt, which was relatively firm here in comparison to the majority of the water-logged earth in the Basin. Beneath the husk of the dead tree they were high enough above the water that the dirt was not so completely saturated with moisture. In spite of this small measure of fortune, it was going to be a long night. The hollow ache in her belly reminded her that she had not eaten since lunch.

"Kaze mentioned a town a day or so's ride in this direction," the knight told her. "I think we can make it in a couple of days if we ration the water."

Yori nodded, feeling the energy deplete away, deflating her bones and leaving her empty and tired. She was just so very, very worn down. But she was not defeated. She was going to protect Yuki and avenge her people. She was going to take back what had been stolen from her in fire and blood.

* * *

 **AN:** Yes, I'd like 1 helping of angst with a side of drama, please? LOL. These 2 never seem to get a break, do they? Tune in next week for a much-anticipated narrator! -teaser- -spoiler- -evil- :3 Also, Hanabusa's lovely quote isn't mine. Credit goes to the anon person who said it. =)


	50. 50 Rima

**RIMA**

The warm, comforting dark behind shut eyelids was abruptly shattered as piercing shafts of sunlight cut into her dreams. Rima stirred, rolling over to bury her head into one of the fluffy white pillows that festooned the bed. There, the soft texture lulled her back into slumber, prompting pleasant dreams. And then, on the brink of deep sleep, the chattering of a myriad of birds disturbed her, followed by a growl emanating from her stomach.

The druid groaned drowsily, desiring only to return to sleep even as she accepted that such a feat would have been impossible. Blinking and squinting in the morning light, Rima threw a glare towards the opposing window, whose sheer white curtains did little to blunt the force of the sun. The shadowy form of a bird streaked past and she sighed. Normally, the birds were the first to rouse her. Today, it was the sun. She preferred the dreary, rainy mornings when both birds and sun were quiet and she could drowse to her heart's content.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Rima saw that Senri, too, had been forced to wake by the impatient morning. He had rolled over onto his stomach, arms around his head in an attempt to block out the light and birdsong. Scooting closer, she pressed her face into his side, wrapping her left arm around his waist. He hated the mornings just as much as she did, though she envied him at times for his ability to fall back asleep no matter the circumstances. Whether he fell back asleep or not, getting out of bed each day was undoubtedly the longest part of their morning routine. After a moment, she heard a stifled yawn from beneath Senri's arms before he slowly rolled over onto his back. Rima repositioned herself, laying her head against his chest, and felt the gentle brush of his fingers running through her hair.

For a while, the pair remained in bed in a nest of sheets and pillows of assorted sizes. Rima turned lazy blue eyes to the wall that faced the bed, where a giant pale rectangle of blank space greeted her. Once, this had been Sawako Touma's bedchamber and there, against that wall, had hung a life-size painting of the same marble young man who played piano in the entryway of the manor. The druid had not enjoyed sleeping across from those painted, watching eyes, and had disposed of the artwork within the first few days after she and Senri had acquired the manor.

A low rumble harmonized with the birds outside. "I'm hungry," the golden-haired mage mumbled, disgruntled, against the seer's skin.

Senri shifted, sitting up and removing her arm before silently exiting the room. Rima curled up again in the center of the mattress, more than content to remain exactly where she was. Her mind was still fogged with traces of sleep. She was a little more tired than usual today, after renewing all the runes that she had drawn around the manor. There was the curse to keep dust away, the curse that kept insects and animals away, the charm that preserved the manor itself, and of course, most importantly of all, the spell that hid the manor from all unwanted visitors. That one was both the most draining and the most vital.

The door swung open and Senri returned, expression sleepy and mahogany hair still tousled from sleep. He returned to the bed, opening a bundle of cloth in his lap to reveal two breakfast buns. Finally Rima used a small bit of her energy to sit up, leaning against the seer's side as she selected her bun and took a bite. When it came to fruits and vegetables, Rima was able to use her magic to find or grow them easily enough. However, she and Senri had to cook a large portion of their food, even if it was simple to obtain the ingredients. She had baked these two or three days ago and, thanks to her preservation spells, they had stayed fresh. Most spells she and Senri cast together, since combining their magical abilities usually facilitated the process tenfold, though she maintained them alone. Senri's magic was different from hers and his visions were sometimes exhausting. Neither of them wanted to risk the integrity of their runes, so Senri's power was not tied to them directly.

Finishing her bun and licking her fingers clean, the druid stretched, at last leaving the sanctuary of the bed to find clothes for the day. Senri was close behind her, rummaging through the trunk at the foot of the bed. Sawako Touma had left them with a large closet and several different chests and wardrobes, so they had no shortage of storage space in the room. Occasionally, Rima forgot where she stowed things, though neither she nor Senri occupied even half the available space in the room. It all seemed rather excessive, though neither of them could complain about their quality of life.

Once the two mages were dressed, they headed outside, towards the edge of the manor grounds where they practiced their magic. As they passed the stables and the practice yard, Rima noted that once again the two royals were already awake. She knew Zero didn't consider himself a royal, but regardless of his preference his lineage still qualified him as one. She paused, hand moving to her hip as she observed them. The pair had requested to stay at the manor for a short time to train the princess, which Rima had agreed to even if she thought the endeavor rather hopeless. Yuki had displayed an appalling amount of enthusiasm for learning the sword. More than Rima found necessary, especially given the quantity of physical energy such an activity required. The tiny brunette girl was learning from her scary knight quickly enough, she supposed, though if the mage had to summarize her skill at the moment it would have been: terrible.

"That's a perfect swing...for killing a chicken," Zero informed his pupil, whom he parried easily. At the moment, they were using practice swords that they had found in the guards' rooms in the manor. There had been other equipment there, such as armor and polishing kits, which they hadn't made use of so far.

Yuki, determined to be better, waited this time for Zero's attack. Her mouth was set in a straight line, eyebrows pinched together stubbornly. She held the practice sword with more confidence than she had days ago. Her stance was decent, her grip good, and her ambition high, but despite her efforts she had not come even close to mastering the techniques needed to wield a blade.

"I'm attacking your left," the knight told her, purposely sweeping around to the right, instead. The wooden sword knocked against her side and she made a sound of frustration. "My words lied," Zero said with far more patience than Rima would have had. "My eyes and my arm shouted out the truth, but you were not seeing."

Rima turned away from the scene, continuing past until she and Senri reached a thin tendril of the bog that curled around a sparse glen of skeletal, mossy trees. Rima had once cleansed the water here, though the effect had not been permanent. She did not wish to maintain such a thing, nor to disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. Currently, she was attempting to gain enough proficiency to manipulate elements other than the one for which she had an affinity: lightning. Of course, as a druid she could control at a basic level most aspects of nature, but at an advanced level she could use only one. If she truly wished to be powerful, she would have to master more than just lightning.

Senri, however, was not a druid. His magic was more potent and rarer, even strange. It was difficult for him to practice this magic unless an animal wandered by, though he always accompanied her. Although she wasn't sure of the proper name for it, Rima always considered Senri's magic to be blood magic, as he was able to directly manipulate either his own blood or the blood of others. She had seen him clot a wound or burst the jugular of a passing crocodylus. His power was both terrifying and useful, as neither of them ever had to go out of their way to hunt supper.

Stepping forward to the edge of the water, Rima concentrated her thoughts on the liquid before her. The whole body of water was still too much for her, so she narrowed her focus to a single droplet. She always began small and then gradually worked her way upwards in difficulty. Water was conducive to lightning. Therefore, logically, water should be conducive to her as well. Slowly, under the pressure of the magic she exerted upon it, the droplet rose in the air, quivering. She summoned it to her, feeling it slide against her palm and between her fingers before she sent it flying back into the depths of the brackish brook.

The next steps were ones she was all-too-familiar with. She had been practicing this magic for weeks now. She began with several more droplets, increasing the amount of water each time. When the amount was conservative, enough to fill a glass or a bowl, she was able to wield it. When the amount was greater, the liquid slipped out of her grasp, dissolving back into a mess of particles over which she had no control. Today, she hoped the result would be different. She wanted to improve, to have something to show for her efforts.

Rima shut her eyes, summoning all of her energy as she grasped at the mass of water that stood before her. She wanted it to move, if not outside of its natural boundaries, then at least within them. If she could just manage to create a current, or a whirlpool, or _something_... Scowling, she mentally prodded at the water, at first suggestively, then forcefully. For a moment, a mere cluster of seconds, she could feel the liquid stir sluggishly, as though a great beast were waking within its depths. And then, as quickly as she had sensed it, the sensation faded, and the waters grew dead and still once again.

Flustered, the druid flung her right hand out violently, spewing lightning towards the trees beyond the water. Immediately, the smell of singed wood filled her nostrils as a fresh set of scorch marks scarred the trunks of the unfortunate trees. She stomped her foot. She had been working up to this for months now, and yet the magic continued to defy her.

"I don't think that's what people mean when they say to gather firewood...," Senri remarked dryly, expression deadpan.

"I'll do it," she replied, more to herself than to him.

He only nodded, perhaps more confident in her abilities than she was. Then he stood from where he had been sitting atop a dead, fallen tree, brushing off his pants and gesturing towards the manor with a tilt of his head. Rima blinked, glancing upwards towards the sun. Already, the hot, yellow globe had risen above their heads. The magic had taken far longer today than she had realized. And still, she had accomplished nothing. Nothing at all.

Sighing, she nodded, following the seer back towards the manor. Zero and Yuki had paused to take a break now, both drinking from the canteens Senri had provided them and both sweating profusely in the afternoon heat. Rima, like Senri, wasn't particularly bothered by the sun since she was able to regulate her body temperature magically, though she understood their discomfort.

Although the seer continued back to the manor, Rima stopped near to the knight, contemplative. From the time of his arrival, Zero had never ceased to be wary of the mages. Perhaps he was merely over-cautious, or perhaps his distrust ran deeper. Certainly, mistrust of magic was a long-standing tradition in the Nine Kingdoms, from the time that the Kiryuus had ruled until now. After all, she, Senri, and her people were forced to live in hiding to escape the fear that their magic instilled. If it were not for the kindness and generosity of King Kaien, the druids would have faced persecution and slaughter. It was a debt that she and Senri continued to repay.

Although he was no longer alive, it seemed clear that Kaien had entrusted the future of the kingdoms to Yuki and to Zero. Rima had brought them here, revealed the items that Kaien had left for them, and given them a place to stay. It was poor recompense for the debt the mages owed the former king, though there was also not much more she could think to do for the time being. Although...she and Senri had perhaps discovered another, more significant way to repay their debt. However, beginning such a quest would require much more preparation and research...

Folding her arms, the druid again regarded the silver-haired knight standing a foot or two away from her. From the dark tint of his gaze, she had a feeling he was brooding. He had been brooding ever since the day of his arrival, since Yuki had begun pushing him to take the throne. She wasn't sure if he was always broody or not, but perhaps he just needed a nudge.

"You are still preoccupied with the truth Kaien shared with you," she commented, immediately catching his attention.

He did not respond immediately, and his hesitation confirmed her guess. In that space, the lines of his bones against his skin began to sharpen into hard angles and tension. His eyebrows beat together, his knuckles clenched tightly around the handle of the practice sword, and his violet eyes had taken on a hard glint that alerted her to a torrent of his pent-up emotions and thoughts.

"Sometimes a person has to choose," she murmured detachedly, "Sometimes the world forces his hand. If a man knows what he is and remains true to himself, the choice is no choice at all." She wasn't particularly interested whether he wanted the throne or not. She was only mildly interested in how her cryptic words affected him. Although, of course, she also would abide by the promise that she had made to King Kaien to aide Yuki and Zero in whatever way she was able.

She was met with hostility. He refused the very possibility of her words, twisting slightly away from her to reflect his attitude. Very quietly, so quietly she wasn't sure she had heard it at all, a low voice said in an undertone, "I'm not a king. I was a pit fighter."

Rima shot blue eyes into the violet ones across from her. The expression he gave her was intimidating. Honestly, if he did decide to pursue the throne, he probably didn't need to push hard to gain the support of noble houses. His face alone would scare them into submission...

One golden eyebrow arced upward. "If you're worried about how the public would receive a slave rising to lordship... Well, aren't you already a knight? But even so...never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."

Pit fighter or not, she was sure his past mattered little. Royal blood was royal blood, no matter how diluted it had become. The nobles might object at first, but she knew that the capital was ready for a change. The citizens had become restless. They disliked this Kaname Kuran. If Zero and Yuki played their cards right, they could gain the support of the people.

Rima turned on her heel, making a beeline for the manor and leaving Zero wordlessly. It was nearly lunch time and afterwards she planned to retreat back to the tangle of sheets on that feather-soft mattress for an afternoon nap. Already, her body longed to lie there and drift off back into sweet dreams, head cushioned against a pillow to which clung the faint scent of perfume and Senri.

For a moment, she paused in the doorway to the manor, eyes flicking back towards the royals. Before she and Senri had taken this manor, life had been very different for them. Before Kaien, it had been even more so. She did not want to leave the sanctuary they had made for themselves here. But, even as she thought this, she knew that the decision had already been made. They would leave this place for a while and complete their promise.

Resigned, she headed for the kitchen. Her empty stomach demanded sustenance before she engaged in any more heavy thoughts.

* * *

 **AN:** Rima joins the narrating club! Hmm, what kind of quest will they undertake? Also I know Rima wants to master other elements but she's pretty powerful already... Imagine being able to make your life so comfortable that easily. I'm jealous...


	51. 51 Ichiru

**AN:** Hey look, 2 new narrators in a row!

* * *

 **ICHIRU**

Ichiru stared out over the uninteresting grey of the city, watching as the rain trickled pathways down the window. Idly, he reached back, playing with the bell that bound his hair into a tight, secure bun, letting the sound drip and slide over his skin like the rain outside. If it weren't for the anticipation that slithered in his belly, bubbling eagerly at the thought of his upcoming wedding, the day would have been very dull indeed. As it was, he had found nothing other than excitement to occupy the hours.

Pressing his fingertips to the cool glass, he was reminded of Lady Shizuka's cool exterior...and of the abundant snow of the Amaranthine Peaks. For a moment, his mind mulled over his soon-to-be wife, the elegant noble woman who had rescued him and cared for him as though he were a member of her own house. He supposed that now he would officially be, even though she would inherit the Kiryuu name. He was sure that her aim was only that: to take his name and magical inheritance for herself and further separate herself from the other nobles so that she would interest the kingdoms as a competitor for the throne. However... One corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smirk. He didn't much mind, as long as he could remain beside her, serving her until death. It was the life he chose, the same one Maria wished to spare him from. But... He folded his arms now, violet eyes unfocused as watched the rain ping off the roof beneath his window. He would not be deterred from this path, not by anyone.

Honestly, he was somewhat glad that Shizuka had sent Maria away. And although he could feel the traces of guilt worming through his heart for harboring such a feeling, the relief was stronger. He was growing weary of reminding the Hio girl that his intentions would not change. Maria could never hope to understand the profound connection that he shared with Shizuka. She had not been there to see her cousin stretch out her pale, soft hand to him or to hear the promise of salvation that she had offered. Shizuka had been the first person to acknowledge his capabilities, to encourage his growth, and to see him as more than the fading, weak shadow of his brother. He could hear her velvet rich voice even now...

 _"Help me, and I will give to you powers beyond your wildest dreams. The gift for magic is strong within you." Long, white fingers brushed his unruly hair back from his brow._

From that moment so long ago when he had met her, Ichiru had done everything Shizuka had asked of him, for she alone had seen his hidden strength and had given him the resources to develop it. And he, in turn, had been the one to find her, weeping beneath the dead, wintry branches of that cherry tree after her husband had died. He had seen the terrible sorrow that etched itself over her features. He had only been a boy, but he had desired only to free her from the shackles of that grief. Thus, perhaps he was the only one who understood why it had been necessary for Shizuka to kill the Kiryuus of Murasaki Village. It had been to rid herself of a sadness that would have driven her mad. And in a terrible, twisted way, he had been elated in the wake of that massacre. Elated to finally have an existence that was worthy, important...crucial, even... Closing his eyes, the scene blossomed beneath his lids with scarlet petals, the strength of the memory pulling him under.

 _A red haze was drifting over his field of vision, spreading outward in a shadowy stain. Where was he? The last few moments roiled blankly in his mind, unreachable. He blinked, the pressure in his head buzzing as if he was underwater. He struggled to focus, hand blurring before him into a lump of formless flesh._

 _The floor snapped into focus. Dark and blotchy. His gaze shot franticly around the room. He could feel eyes widen, detached from his conscious as though with a life all their own. Not his, because he was trapped within them, helplessly looking out as if from behind glass. Chest tightening, breaths painful and spiking through his lungs with debilitating force, puncturing holes in them as he inhaled, exhaled. The blotches were swimming now. Connected, like so many pieces of a puzzle._

 _Here, a hand, there a foot. Over there, an eye, glazed and unseeing, forever unseeing, encrusted in…_

 _He wanted to scream._

 _Eyes bulging downward, an arm rolled toward him. Dismembered, seeping out into the floor. After a moment he realized he was shaking so hard that his teeth were rattling. He gripped his arms around himself, knuckles white, gasping and feeling so dizzy that he wasn't sure where the air was, where the sky or ground or his own hand._

 _No more, he couldn't take it. But he couldn't shut his eyes. They were glued on the horrific scene before him. Dead bodies, everywhere, soaked in blood. A few of them severed and chopped into so many pieces that he wasn't sure where the tangle of flesh ended and the sea of blood began._

 _And all of them alike. Silver hair. Dead eyes. The world was wriggling in and out of focus, but he was chained to it._

 _Even children…_

 _Somehow, he had entered a house, one that shrieked familiarity at him. His own..? But here, too... The thought cut off along with his breath as he spun around. The world had been soaked in blood._

 _A figure stepped out of the shadows. Familiar, so very familiar. He knew her instantly, even covered head to toe in blood. Even with such a dreadful, gruesome expression scarring her face._

 _Shizuka._

 _For a long moment he remained as he was, unmovable, eyes fastened open but unseeing, body numb. And then, as she stretched out her hand, a ghastly smile twisting her crimson lips, he felt himself jolt to life, fingers reaching for hers._

 _As she led him away, her grasp gentle but firm, the horror eroded, replaced instead by a perverse joy. Because out of everyone, out of the entire village..._ he _had been chosen. Not his brother, not his parents, no one else. Only him._

The rain smeared across the window sharpened, coming back into focus. Ichiru blinked, returning disoriented from the memory. His brows pulled together, thinking of the brother that he had lost so long ago. Zero had survived the tragedy, but... Perhaps he was dead now, killed along with the young Kuran princess. A melancholic smile touched Ichiru's lips. They were doomed to never meet again, he supposed.

If there was one consequence of the massacre that he regretted, it was that Zero had been forced to suffer. Zero had always watched over Ichiru, always given him the attention and affection that their parents had denied Ichiru. And yet... The noble passed a hand over his eyes. And yet, he hated Zero at the same time. He had hated him from the day of their birth because Zero had always been stronger, had always been the favorite son. Zero, so pure and humble and sickeningly _good_. Ichiru had despised his older brother, but also loved him dearly. Even now, the emotions were so entangled and conflicting in his head that he could barely make sense of them.

The sound of the door opening jerked Ichiru from his thoughts. Turning his head, he felt his heart pinch as the breathtaking beauty of Shizuka Hio entered the room. Each step she took flowed with grace and elegance. She was the paramount of nobility, a gem among common stones. Her pale complexion, full, red lips, long, straight white hair, and rose-pink eyes set her apart from the rest of the court. A winter's day in the summertime. A dream. Or, rather, _his_ dream.

"Lady Shizuka," he greeted her, bowing deeply. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Hio noblewoman lifted an eyebrow at him archly. "Such formality from my groom."

Ichiru felt his cheeks heat slightly. "Well, what do you want me to say...?" he muttered.

"Hm." She smiled, approaching him with a swish of her skirts, a pastel shade of pink to offset her eyes.

"You seem happy lately," Ichiru observed.

"I admit I'm enjoying this." Her smile broadened as she neared him, expression cat-like. "It's been a while since I've played at court. ...You don't like it?"

"I don't mind..." He shrugged, indifferent. Ashgate was merely a change of pace for him. He didn't mind having a new, wider selection of books at his disposal, though he did miss some of the comforts of Sakura Hall.

Watching her carefully, Ichiru was once again struck by the impossibility of this marriage. To think that he, a Kiryuu and a commoner, would be wed to one of the most powerful nobles in the Nine Kingdoms...it was astonishing, unthinkable even. He did not understand her motivations, and neither had she explained them.

His curiosity spurred him to ask, "Why me? Why not a noble lord?"

"That would be boring," she replied easily, her shoulders raising a centimeter before falling again. "I have my reasons. I value your impudence as well as your magic."

"But you needn't marry again," he pointed out. "Your husband gave you the power to rule and you have Maria as your heir. And you loved him..." Chords of longing struck throughout his chest. She had loved her first husband as she would never, ever love him. He knew that...and still he selfishly wished to claim her for himself.

"Yes. Are you jealous?" She cocked her head to the right, regarding him with interest.

"No," he countered immediately, flushing deeply. Of course he was envious. He wanted her love, her passion, everything that she had dedicated to her husband before. He wanted to be the only person she saw, the one she missed when they were apart, the one she dreamed of at night... He knew he would never be that person, but the hope lingered.

"I could not stop myself from killing your family and your people in revenge. You hate me for that, don't you?" she asked, gaze fixated on him under her long, curled lashes.

"No," he denied sincerely, shaking his head. How could he possibly hate the woman he loved?

"Hmm...really? If that's true, you're a sinful one, too..." she trailed off bemusedly.

Shizuka reached out, fingers brushing against his cheek with something he might have mistaken for tenderness if he hadn't known better. And then, her hand continued, cupping the back of his head and pulling him towards her. His eyes widened as her lips pressed chastely against his. For a moment, his heart flailed behind his ribs, shocked and thrilled and bitter all at once.

She released him then, her finger tracing the outline of his lips as she gave a soft laugh. "You look confused. You didn't like my kiss?"

Ichiru stiffened, turning away from her and back to the window. "You don't like me, so don't mock me." He wasn't going to delude himself. He knew Shizuka did not harbor any affection for him. She was toying with him.

"I like you," she repudiated, "for the way you're so honest."

"You know that I love you," he murmured, the words provoking nearly physical pain.

"I can never return your feelings," she said, and as she uttered the words Ichiru thought she seemed almost forlorn. "Therefore, I'll give you my own flesh and blood."

It was more than Ichiru had ever dared to hope for when he was younger. And yet, somehow it was not quite enough. It would never truly be enough, not when his love for her consumed him. But... It was all he would have.

* * *

 **AN:** Ichiru is fascinating to me. Not good, not evil, just very grey. He would be very interested to read any and all reviews ;)


	52. 52 Zero

**AN:** WOO! Next week is this fic's **1 year anniversary**! That means this fic has been successfully publishing **every week f** or an **entire year**. That's amazing. So, to celebrate, I'm taking next week off...and coming back the week after with a bonus chapter titled _Bonds_. I may not publish the extra chapter on that Monday, I'm not sure yet, but after that we'll resume the regular schedule of weekly updates. Also, I decided that since this chapter is a better stopping point, I'd take my vacation now rather than after the next chapter, which will be more of a cliffhanger. ;)

Also, I did include some manga dialogue in this chapter to help flesh out Zeki's relationship a little more. It fit the flow of the chapter very well. If it bothers you, then I recommend skipping the flashbacks. =)

* * *

 **ZERO**

"You're improving," Zero observed, knocking away Yuki's practice sword with his own. She certainly was getting better, a little bit each day. She was not going to be an expert swordfighter anytime soon, but her progress was encouraging.

"I'm not improving much when you keep going so easy on me," she replied, squinting at him.

"It's bad form to injure a princess," he answered simply. He had given her a few bruises, but the methods under which he or Hanabusa had been trained were far too harsh for him to employ on Yuki, and he did not believe that she needed them, either.

Zero had been teaching the princess for a fortnight now, intent on seeing some tangible improvement before they continued to Seagate. With such little time to train her, he was working on the basics of her form and stance rather than the minutiae of her movements. He was impressed with her enthusiasm and determination, though less impressed with her clumsiness, which he found endearing nonetheless. If they were ever able to rejoin Hanabusa and Yori, perhaps the Wakaba noble could teach her the basics of the bow. Archery was more stationary and Yuki might not injure herself so easily by tripping. However, while Yuki could not engage in a swordfight, she could, at least, defend her own life in a crisis. Most likely, she would not be able to hold off a skilled opponent for long, but Zero never planned to leave her unprotected anyway.

"In the capital I was a princess," she was saying, "but out here in this swamp I'm nobody. I rather like it."

Denial edged up, creeping up into his eyes. "You are the rightful heir, Yuki."

"I don't think so. You have more claim to the throne than I..." Her eyes sparkled obstinately.

"We already talked about this," he growled stiffly. "Even if that were so, the Kiryuus haven't ruled for so long that most of the kingdoms have entirely forgotten them. The people would not recognize the Kiryuu name like they would yours." He regarded her with calm logic. Yuki was stubbornly clinging to this idea, but he refused to acknowledge such a possibility. The throne was hers and hers alone. She needed to accept that.

"You keep denying your heritage Zero, but whether you're a prince or a knight or a slave, it doesn't define who you are. It never will." Yuki pointed her wooden sword at him with a defiant toss of her head. The remnant of her once-long hair, a short, dark brown ponytail, bobbed behind her in sync with her gesture. "Besides," she added, much to his frustration, "No matter what you say, I'm not a princess anymore. I'm a traitor and a fugitive."

Zero could feel the anger blaze through his limbs again. Why was it that Yuki could not see the truth when it lie so clearly before them? Why was she ignoring so much history? The Kiryuus had sat on the throne, yes, but their magic was twisted. That same magic warped his veins, healing his injuries, sharpening his instincts... Kiryuu magic had preserved his life in the arena, giving him strength when he hadn't wanted it, guiding his sword arm to take hundreds of lives in spite of his desires to die. He was an abomination, made so from both magic and his own history, while she was a princess, and in spite of her current predicament Kaname could not take away her name or her claim to the throne. If the people of Ashgate were as unhappy as Rima and Senri had said, it would not be difficult for them to support Yuki. There was no reason for her to continue pressing the issue of Zero's ancestry. But Yuki always seemed to push him, to press at the anger that deep in his marrow and to counter whatever feelings or objections he harbored. She always had, even from the first moments that he had arrived in Ashgate fresh from the arena...

 _He loathed himself, hated the mark scorched into his skin by the slavers, designating him forever as a murderer, as property. Attempting to dismiss her, to shove aside her pitiful kindness, he had inadvertently triggered something within her that spurred her to press herself even closer into all of the spaces he didn't need her to be. He had wanted to be alone, he needed to be alone, but somehow she was always there when he least wanted her. Bit by bit, Yuki was discovering all the parts of him that he didn't want anyone to see._

 _She had chased off the group of older trainees who had been fighting with him. They had seen that brand and jeered, laughing through snide comments. He had engaged them, responding to their taunts, but even so, he had been holding himself back...because if he had wanted to, he was sure he could have killed them all, even though they had been the ones foolish enough to test him. But she had interrupted them, expression desperate and concerned to see his knuckles covered with blood where he had broken one boys' nose. She had seen his lust for violence and the way he glowered at her from beneath his silver fringe. He longed for some outlet to his rage, to all of the things that had been caged inside of him for so many years now. She was denying him that._

 _Yet her hands were warm against him as they reached out to examine his knuckles, her eyes wide and innocent and sparkling with tears. As he watched, a few of them broke free from their containment and spattered down her cheeks. Her grip tightened on his wrists as she told him, her words repeating through the still night air, "If you can't forget these painful feelings, then I will stay beside you like this until you can forget. So please, don't fight anymore...don't hurt yourself like this anymore, okay?"_

 _Why was she the one crying? It irritated him. She made him angry, made him so irate he thought that anger might burst from his skin and explode. He wanted to lash out against himself, wanted to punch his fist into a wall or ruthlessly claw out that brand, but she was holding him back. Why did she have to hold him back? He wanted to be alone, but she insisted on comforting him. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? He didn't want her to stay, didn't want her touch. It made his skin crawl with fury._

 _But all he said was, "Okay," even though he thought, '_ Next time, I'll make sure you don't find out.'

The Kuran princess launched another series of attacks with her sword, which he blocked distractedly, his arm following her motions automatically. He was still half-immersed in his thoughts, remembering the petite fourteen year old girl who had so drastically transformed his life. Yuki had always insisted on doing as she pleased, and this time was no different. And she made the situation far more painful by continuing to propose that the throne was _his_ birthright and not hers, because each and every time she did so he could almost glimpse that impossible, ethereal future where she was by his side... He shut his eyes for an agonizing beat, rooting himself back in his cold reality. That illusion was something that could never become real. Yuki did not know how deeply, how dangerously he desired that future. She did not know how much she tempted his love for her each time she spoke those words. A crooked, painful grimace touched his lips. Even before he had fallen in love with her, hadn't he always been tempted by her? Tempted to give into her kindness? Even back then, young and full of wrath, he had wanted her for himself, because she had the uncanny ability to drive away his nightmares and soothe his rage...

 _Zero sat up suddenly from where he had fallen asleep beneath a tree, a name half-formed in his mouth. "Ichi-!" He swallowed the last syllable like bile. He didn't want to think about that name, that face... Ichiru was dead. There was nothing in that name anymore._

 _A shadow twitched off to his right, and a wave of resentment crashed over him. "You're so annoying!" he growled. The shadow jumped. "Until when did you plan to stay here? You're supposed to be riding with Hanabusa!" The princess of the Nine Kingdoms should not be bothered with him, and it irritated him that she did anyway, despite how hard he pushed against her._

 _"Sorry...," Yuki mumbled sheepishly. "It sounded like you weren't sleeping well, so I was worried... Do you mind if I sit beside you?"_

 _"If you want to sit, then sit," he replied crossly, laying back down and staring fixedly up at the branches above. "You're the princess, after all. You can do what you want."_

 _She could do as she pleased. He didn't care, he didn't care about anything. He despised her interferences, but he didn't care what she did. Right at that moment the only thing he cared about, the only thing that mattered, was to desperately try with everything he had to not let the terrible weight of those nightmarish emotions welling up inside him make him lose his sanity completely. Every time he fell asleep, without fail, he dreamed of bloodshed and death. He dreamed of the massacre of his home, dreamed of the arena, dreamed of corpses. It was like crawling uphill through mud and fog, trying not to slip further into the darkness which festered inside him._

 _He felt a hand rest against the top of his head and the air shift as her skirt billowed around her in a silken pool as she sat beside him. Very quietly, she murmured, "I'll stay like this with you until you fall asleep again. When I was little it was the same for me. When I missed my mom and dad, I would manage to feel safe and fall asleep thanks to my adopted father petting my head like this."_

 _He wanted to hate her then. Wanted to scream at her, chase her away, hit something. But instead he found himself thinking about her gentle hands and her soft voice and the comfort she transmitted with that simple gesture. It was the first time that he started thinking that he wanted those gentle hands and that kind smile all for himself. It was the first time a beautiful feeling started growing in his heart...a beautiful, dangerous feeling that would eventually become so large and consuming that it would break his heart every day..._

 _"It's okay," she said, and he felt his eyes fall shut automatically. The furious, tumultuous beating of his heart slowly calmed as he drifted into the first deep, undisturbed slumber that he could remember, despite the discomfort of the hard ground beneath him._

A small, warm form crashed into him suddenly, snapping him out of his reveries. Stepping backward in an attempt to regain his balance, Zero felt the sole of his foot slip against a muddy foothold. For a moment, suspended in time, he was surprised that Yuki had slipped through his defenses, even when he was lost in thought. And then, as he collided with the ground, he thought it ironic, since it had always been Yuki who managed, with the force of her smile alone, to get him to lower his guard and let her in.

A little breathlessly, hands pinning his wrists to the ground, the princess grinned and said, "Got you."

A smile nearly surfaced on his lips, but he pushed it under as the lone thought ghosted its way through his mind: _You've always got me._

"We make a great team, you know. I think you could do it, if you were to reconsider." As before, something vague, unnameable, and melancholic passed over her features.

She sat up then and he did the same, watching her with a puzzled gaze for a moment before averting his eyes. Again, her suggestion was corroding his heart. Even if it meant that they could be together, even if it meant that he would at last be free to love her, he could not take away what rightfully belonged to Yuki. He would not claim the throne just to be by her side as an equal. And besides, elevating his status to royalty would not equalize them. Yuki would forever be above him, a precious flame that would be smothered by his darkness if he came too close.

His lips could not express the emotions that collided and coalesced in his chest, and so the only syllables they uttered were those of her name: "Yuki..." Somehow, he still could not meet her eyes.

The soft pressure of her fingertips sliding over his face, palms cupping his cheeks and shocking his eyes into locking with hers, made his heart leap violently. He could read the frustration that stamped its presence over her features. Her eyebrows were angled down, her lips tight, her forehead creased. She shook her head slightly, murmuring with intensity, "No. I won't hear it again."

She leaned forward a little, as though via proximity alone she could transmit the force of her own feelings. "I've known you longer than anyone, Zero. I know what you're capable of. I know you have it in you to be a great ruler, just like you have always had faith in me to be one."

Her eyes fell then, down to his collar where he could feel them tracing against his tattoo. For a moment she hesitated, faint color flushing across her cheekbones. Then, in a near-whisper, "Please... Just reconsider... Zero, I...I always want you by my side." Chocolate eyes rose now, tentatively peering into his before dropping away again, along with her hands this time, which clasped and unclasped in her lap for a minute as she finished, "With me." Despite her apparent nervousness, those last two words sounded out strongly, unwavering and steady. Her eyes, unyielding as they gazed at him, transported him back to when he had first started training as her knight...

 _"Don't touch me with those clean, manicured hands. Isn't that for a servant to do, anyway?" he snarled, flinching away from her hands. It was nothing, he wasn't hurt badly. The cuts and bruises he accumulated from fighting with the other trainees didn't bother him. It was their own foolishness for challenging him once again. Moreover, he didn't want her to touch him. He didn't want to feel those gentle hands on him. They threatened him, scared him, caused him to tremble..._

 _"Sorry, um... I'll just leave these bandages here then...but please...change them at least." She bit her lip, face falling, downcast._

 _"I know already. Just leave it there and get out of here!"_

 _He clenched his fists. He didn't want to see such an expression on her face. Why...? Why did it anger him so very, very much? Was it because he wanted to hate her, and yet couldn't? Or was it because he was afraid, because he didn't want her to get close...because... An immeasurable storm crackled through him. Already, the wounds he'd received yesterday from the knights he'd been training with were healing. He always healed so fast, but this speed, this... She would find out. She would realize that he was some kind of monster. Some kind of demon. And he dreaded that day._

 _He threw the medical kit away, watched as the tonic bottle smashed against the far wall. The glass rippled and shattered outward, drowning out Yuki's cry of, "Zero!" Watching the fragmented glass fall and tinkle against the floor, watching the tonic leak out and spread over the ground like a pool of blood, the teenager felt a strange satisfaction. He wanted to break apart himself, like that, into a million pieces._

 _"Z-Zero," the princess stammered, stepping closer. She reached out hesitantly. "Come on, you're hurt, we have to-"_

 _Violently, suddenly, he lashed out, slapping her hand away. "Don't touch me!" he snapped, shaking with insuppressible anger. He didn't want her concern, didn't she understand that? He didn't want to feel the comfort her hands conveyed. He was trying to face his past, trying to face the fact that, after healing from dozens of fatal injuries, he didn't seem quite human, and she continued to turn up when she wasn't wanted._

 _"Zero...," she whispered, and he caught the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. He watched her swallow them down and attempt to approach him again, ignoring it even though... Rage coursed through him, but... It was the first time he had felt his heart sting from hurting her._

 _And then, later that day he had found her waiting for him in the training yard, asleep on a bench. He had watched her for a long moment, wavering between fury and...something else. Irately, he had dropped his equipment loud enough to wake her._

 _Startled, she exclaimed, "Ah!" Then, "Oops...I dozed off for a bit."_

 _He glared at her. He had used force to push her away earlier, and yet she still returned, like a particularly idiotic bird with an unshakeable migration pattern... She should worry about herself more rather than waste her time on him._

 _When he didn't immediately answer, she asked, "Are you okay?"_

 _"Sorry for your hand...," he mumbled at last, averting his gaze. He shouldn't have used so much strength to knock her hand away..._

 _"Huh?" She held it up as if to show him it was fine and shrugged. "It's nothing, don't worry. I'm glad, it's nice that you're calmer now. You were actually a bit scary earlier...ah..." A hand flew to her lips, the regret plain on her face for uttering such a thing._

 _His chest contracted, just once. Only once, but that contraction was enough to alert him that he actually was... "Sorry." He was actually sorry..._

 _She smiled then, infuriatingly. Why couldn't she just be normal, be mad at him? He would have deserved it. He was always malicious to her, and she never seemed to take offense. Instead, she was saying, "No, don't be. I'm sorry, I was actually very scared, but then... I thought you must have lived through such horrible things, so I thought... I thought... Well, you don't want to hear this from me..." She broke off abruptly, fidgeting nervously._

 _It wasn't that. It wasn't exactly. It wasn't that he didn't_ want _her comfort, exactly... It was him. Or rather, it was that he was the one who was truly scared. She scared him. The way she affected him, was changing him...it was terrifying._

 _She stood, moving towards him, and automatically he heard himself voicing the words: "Don't touch-"_

 _Ignoring him, she had already flung her arms around him. She was holding him tightly, and even if he didn't want to be held he couldn't pull away. Even if he didn't want to listen he could still hear her tell him, "It's okay. If you have a place where you can feel safe, then you'll be okay even if scary things happen. So you don't have to be afraid anymore."_

 _He wanted to walk out of the yard. Wanted to run away. But those arms prevented him from leaving. They always did, always would. And as time passed, as the years continued on, the arms he had no right to seek held him there. He felt so safe, so whole in her arms that it was almost cruel. And her face, always so sincere and unwavering...it had never ceased to give him strength._

Seconds buzzed by, thunderous in his ears. Memories rushed through his mind as her words rushed through his ears. His limbs had gone numb, steeped with disbelief. It seemed impossible that he and Yuki could want the same thing. He swallowed hard, mind and pulse racing. What was she saying? That she wanted to them to be together..? But even as he immediately rejected such an idea, the blush that reddened her cheeks confirmed it. Incredulous, Zero was rendered immobile, paralyzed as his mind jumped sporadically through a maze of conflicted thoughts. How could it be that Yuki wanted him to stand beside her?

He was surely dreaming. Yuki Kuran, princess to the Nine Kingdoms, could not possibly have wanted all along to be with someone like himself. And yet, the unforgiving, scorching whip of the sun's rays and the roar of insects around them forced him to face her confession as reality. Suddenly, he understood her insistence that he take the throne. She had advocated his claim for the very reason that he had discarded it: so that they might be together, as equals, as they reclaimed the kingdoms. It was the same as before, when she had come to comfort him. She had wanted them to be friends, to be equals... Really, she hadn't changed at all since then.

Twin emotions warred in his mind. He did not deserve her, did not deserve the crown. He shouldn't accept, shouldn't allow himself to be persuaded no matter how much he yearned to. And yet, he did not want to break her heart. He had already given himself to her as a knight, had vowed to protect her, to bind his life to hers. More than that, he had loved her for so long that his devotion, his affection for her had ingrained itself in his very marrow. If Yuki Kuran, the woman he loved with all of his being, desired this of him...desired to be with him...perhaps there was no longer a reason to keep resisting his heart...or her. After all, even at his most angry and broken, he had been unable to refuse her or prevent himself from inexorably surrender to her. And while he doubted that what she felt in her heart was the same powerful love that he had for her, if she wanted to be with him, why should he deny her?

Zero felt himself give in to her, felt himself bending, softening under her gravity, under her gaze which had not changed in all the years that he had known her. His words were gentle, devoid of the bleak shadows that had characterized them only moments before, as he whispered, "You always have me, Yuki." A pause, the thoughts sticking together heavily in his mind as he struggled to vocalize them. "And you always will have me...with you...if that's what you wish..." He trusted Yuki to understand what he had difficulty expressing: his acceptance.

She did. The girl's blush intensified through a dazzling smile that banished all of the demons within him for its duration. She didn't speak, only threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. And for a moment he could not speak either, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotion. Slowly, his arms rose to wrap around her, holding her close for the first time without consequence, without breaching the social boundaries that had always kept them apart before. To have her there, to feel her warmth, her life, against him, moved him so profoundly that he could feel his blood tremble.

There, under the inexorable sun of the Brackmire Basin, Zero Kiryuu vowed to preserve that smile and all of the happiness it contained.

* * *

 **AN:** Casual reminder: "And while **he doubted that what she felt in her heart was the same powerful love that he had for her** , if she wanted to be with him, why should he deny her?"

He still doesn't know she loves him...idiot.

We'll leave off there for now, folks! Tune in soon for the bonus chap! And review!


	53. Special Chapter: Bonds

**AN:** Hello, and we're back from the break, bringing you a special chapter, _Bonds!_ This chapter is unique, set in the past (after Zero is brought to the castle) and shows a conversation between Shima and Kaien, during the visit when they share the prophecy of the king's early death with him. Set into this conversation are vignettes of the other characters- they are NOT memories or visions that Shima or Kaien are seeing. As the conversation moves along, the narrative will show you, the reader, these glimpses of the other characters (not on a linear timeline, just individual glimpses of other characters that match the conversation). Sorry...it sounds confusing when I explain it...I think it makes more sense in the context of the chapter... Ugh. I'm so bad at this LOL.

Also I used breaks to organize the narration, separating POVs just to make it easier to follow along.

This chapter offers another unique characteristic: a small glimpse into Kaname's mind. I don't plan on allowing any "villains" to narrate, however, I thought for a special chapter like this a small peek would be alright. Also yeah, I'm completely twisting Kaname's character, I know that, but it's just so much fun! -SHOT-

Anyway, enjoy and next week we'll be back on track!

* * *

Rima eyed the delicious table of sweets and teas prepared for their afternoon rendezvous with the king. Beside her, Senri had already helped himself to a cinnamon bun, licking his fingers as though he weren't in the presence of the single most powerful and influential man in the Nine Kingdoms. A smile itched at the corner of her mouth. Senri had never been one to care much for politics or position. She supposed that was why he was so comfortable living with her people... She intended to keep him by her side, although lately she had been considering a change in location. Somewhere remote, where no one could bother them, and she could hone her magical skills...

"You have an interesting guest..." Senri murmured, sipping his tea. "That pit fighter..."

"Yes, Zero Kiryuu," King Kaien acknowledged with a smile, stirring his sugar. "Perhaps the last legitimate member of a once-great house."

"How did the Kiryuu house fall so low?" Rima asked in a bored tone, although she was anything but disinterested. She knew how valuable...and dangerous...this information was.

"Hmm, it's a long story, to be sure." Kaien nodded solemnly, selecting a cake from the spread and chewing on it ponderously. At length, he elaborated, "I suppose the Kiryuus fell the same way every other house falls. Slowly, over time. They lost many allies and crumbled from within even before the Kurans made their move. The last Kiryuu king was mad and the kingdoms feared both the Kiryuu magic and the king's rule. It was a simple matter for the Kuran queen to join the houses together and overthrow him. But the aftermath...that was horrible. The Kurans exiled the Kiryuus, yes, but not before they'd slaughtered the royal family and many others after their victory..."

"You are interesting," Senri said. "Half Kuran...and half Kiryuu."

Kaien smiled. "There are more like me than you know. Pureblood Kiryuus, though, those are hard to come by in this age. That's why it was crucial to rescue Zero from the slave pits."

"What will you do with him?" Rima questioned.

"Ah, right now he's in training to be Yuki's knight. He's my blood, no matter how distant our relation. He will be safe here."

"And the rest of the Kiryuu village?"

Kaien shook his head, lips reflecting a grimness that wordlessly answered the question. Rima frowned into her tea, pensive. If the Kiryuus disappeared, a legacy of magic would also disappear...and magic itself would become rarer still, and more feared than it was even now... What had happened in that distant village in the mountains? For what purpose had that reclusive, peaceful population been slaughtered in the night? Because of their heritage, because of their magic, or for another, unknown reason? Somehow, she thought the answers to those questions had undoubtedly been buried deep down, deeper than the snows of the Amaranthine Peaks...

* * *

 _"Ichiru?" Zero peered at his brother, who was staring out the window, eyes transfixed on something distant through the darkness and the cold. When the boy didn't respond, Zero walked up to him, resting a hand on his shoulder._

 _"Hm?" Ichiru blinked up at him, startled._

 _Zero frowned, touching his brother's forehead with a cool hand. The skin was hot and damp with sweat. "_ _You have a fever, you should lie down," he advised, frowning. Ichiru had always been sickly, but lately he had also seemed melancholy, as well. Worse, he did not confide the reasons for his sudden shift in mood._

 _The younger twin shook his head, glancing back out the window. "It's nothing."_

 _Zero's frown deepened. "But tomorrow we have to train with Master Amon..."_

 _Ichiru dismissed this as well. "At best I'm a bothersome student. It doesn't matter if I do well. And anyway, it's alright. I only need you to like me." Without removing his eyes from the glass of the windowpane, the younger brother clasped the elder's hand. "And you'll protect me. Whatever I can't do, you can." A pause, one that drug out like an expanse of silent snow, and then Ichiru murmured, "Maybe it's impossible to learn to fight with a weak body like this..."_

 _Eager to bolster his brother's spirits, the older twin said, "Hey, don't worry. That's why Master Amon is training us. So we can both be strong."_

* * *

 _Ichiru smiled wanly. He disagreed, but he knew Zero would never admit to being superior. That was just another reason why Ichiru was so irate with him. He wanted to hate his brother, to despise him, but Zero's kindly spirit and humility always prevented him from doing so. With a sigh, the younger twin stood and announced, "I'll be right back. I'm getting a glass of water."_

 _Zero nodded, sitting down at the window to wait for him, and Ichiru quietly exited the room. He stopped just outside the door however, hearing the hushed voices of their parents, and listened with baited breath. Somehow, from the tense atmosphere, the silver-haired boy felt that this was a very important conversation._

 _"...the two of them," he heard his father whisper._

 _"You're right," his mother agreed. "Zero is superior...that much is obvious... But Ichiru..."_

 _"Perhaps we should find another trade from him? I know he loves Zero and likes his company, but wouldn't he be better suited to something else?"_

 _"Yes," his mother affirmed. "Zero will continue training to be a soldier. And Ichiru...we'll have to find something else..something simple."_

 _Ichiru felt his fist clenching. Zero was superior. Of course. He had always known that, but he hated having the truth thrown at him at every turn. Ichiru was the weak brother, the sick brother, the extra, unneeded brother. At least, to everyone here he was. That noble woman he'd met under the cherry tree, Lady Shizuka Hio, she hadn't thought him useless... No, if anything, she'd told him he was the opposite..._

 _Somehow, he couldn't help but think of her. Her skin, white as the snow itself, her scarlet lips, her rosebud eyes...she seemed like the very embodiment of winter. He was reminded of her tranquil demeanor and honeyed voice whenever he glimpsed that tree. He thought, for the first time, perhaps his existence was not worthless to everyone. No, perhaps it was only compared to the Kiryuus that he was rendered inferior. To the rest of the world, how might he be? If the Kiryuus disappeared...would he be capable of rising up in the world?_

 _The glass of water forgotten, Ichiru silently crept back into the room. Zero smiled, seeing him reenter, and the younger twin immediately felt guilt churn in his stomach. Zero had done nothing wrong... Yet, Ichiru could not shake the strange almost-hatred that coiled in his belly. He hoped, fervently, desperately, that Lady Hio would return once more. He hoped she would take him away from this place, that she would validate him once again with her words and her frosty, mournful smile._

 _And then, days later, Shizuka did indeed return...in a storm of bloody vengeance._

* * *

"There is so much tragedy in this world..." Kaien shook his head, eyes crinkling with unspoken thoughts. "My own family is wrought with it."

"Yes, now and historically..." Rima agreed, nibbling a cookie as she nibbled at the thought.

Senri stilled, undoubtedly thinking of his father, and Kaien gave him a sympathetic smile. "Rido was always a cruel man, I'm sorry to say," the king told him. "He wanted Juri for himself...she was promised to him, after all. He never did forgive very easily, even as a child. I'll never forget...one evening, Rido found a servant boy playing with a toy by the fire...that was Rido's toy, a wooden knight. My brother never said a word, he just grabbed the child by the scruff of his neck and shoved his face into the burning coals...held him there while the boy screamed, while his face melted."

The seer dropped a spoonful of sugar into his teacup, watching it dissolve as he slowly stirred the spoon before he spoke. "I have no desire to call him Father..."

"I don't fault you for that sentiment. My brother is a violent man. He was enraged by what he saw as a betrayal by both Haruka and Juri, but he was spitefully content to let them live as long as they suffered. They lost their firstborn child, a boy, when he was but a few weeks old. That child was named Kaname... To torment them, Rido gave his own firstborn the same name." A rueful smile. "Haruka and Juri mourned their lost child for many years. Years during which Rido enjoyed their misery. It was only after Yuki was born and their happiness restored that he sought true vengeance."

"He cost himself the throne," Rima pointed out.

"Yes... I suppose he considered himself safe from consequence, since our father had passed away only days before and he was preparing to ascend the throne himself. But, quite suddenly, I, the youngest son and a bastard at that, found myself thrust into the unexpected position of heir apparent. He miscalculated...Haruka and Juri were well-loved by the people...and the people demanded justice for their deaths." Kaien shook his head, eyes distant with painful memories.

"And Rido's son, Kaname? What of him?" Rima questioned curiously.

"Rido despises him, I think. My brother believes that Kaname should be his child by Juri. It's no small wonder Rido cast the boy aside."

"So you allowed him to become Lord Kuran of Soshiyu in your place."

"I can't very well manage Soshiyu as well as rule the Nine Kingdoms, now can I? Kaname is my nephew and I have no sons of my own. Besides," Kaien winked, "giving my duties to other people is one of my favorite perks of being king. Less work for me."

A small smile creased the druid's lips. "I hope he's taken after his mother."

"I worry for him," Kaien admitted. "He seems like a good lad, but sometimes...I worry."

* * *

 _Takuma shifted uncomfortably, hands clasped behind his back as he regarded the insipid lord that was currently visiting. Many lords came and went from the Timeless City, often seeking favor with Kaname, and usually they brought some token of their respect. This time, however, was by far the most...memorable...gift to date. If one could call it a gift. Lord Jiro had brought with him a large cage...filled with two very young women, scarcely more than girls. Takuma had done his best to master his shock. Uncharacteristically, he had noted Kaname's eyebrows raise when the lord had presented them. The blond lord was unsure how his friend would receive the present, but if his subtle expression was any indication, Kaname was just as taken back as Takuma._

 _Lord Jiro's soft lips quivered like tender meat, his jowls trembling as he announced with evident pride, "These girls are the most beautiful in the kingdom. They have been raised especially for you, for your pleasure." The pompous man gestured to a gilded, golden cage inside of which were the two young women he spoke of. Takuma thought they might be twins, though the one standing towards the front was fairer and stared at the lords fearlessly, while the other, hiding in the back, was darker and stared meekly at the floor through lowered lashes. Jiro introduced them, "The one standing is Hoshino, the one behind her is Yoruno. I assure you, although both are young, they have both flowered. Please do as you will with either."_

 _"As you will meaning..?" One of Kaname's brows arched upwards, though his expression remained obscured and impenetrable._

 _"They're yours, My Lord Kaname. You can do anything with them. It is no problem if you end up killing them. You may leave the bothersome task of disposing of any bodies to me." As Jiro spoke these words, the Ichijou lord noted how the first girl did not flinch, while the second trembled in terror._

 _"And where are their families?" Takuma asked then, disturbed by the plump lord's gift and the sight of these two caged women. Prostitution had always been a prosperous trade in the Timeless City, but for a lord to give two young women such as these as a gift..._

 _"My Lord, you know well that they no longer have families to speak of. They were sold by their parents," Jiro explained with a touch of impatience._

 _"Thank you for your consideration and for this gift," Kaname said then; Takuma presumed his well-timed words were meant to prevent the blond from further insulting Lord Jiro. The Ichijou lord bit his tongue, swallowing down the acrid taste of this vile "gift."_

 _"Not at all, please don't mention it. However, if I may presume to ask it...I wish to receive a place on your counsel..." Jiro simpered._

 _"I understand," Lord Kuran replied tactfully, neither agreeing or disagreeing._

 _"Thank you kindly, My Lord. Please take your time." With a bow, the soft man exited the room._

 _The door clicked shut. "My Lord..." Takuma gave a forced, stiff bow, wanting to leave as well. If Kaname was going to enjoy the women as Lord Jiro intended, he did not wish to linger. Although he did not voice his doubts aloud, but he knew his face expressed his discontent as loudly as words would have._

 _"You stay, Takuma." The words were low, but absolute._

* * *

 _Kaname turned toward the cage, opening the unlocked door, and beckoned, "Come out of there now, you two."_

 _"Yoruno fears people when they are angered, so please let me be first," Hoshino, the fairer of the two, stated quietly._

 _"I am not angry with you. I'm not going to do anything to you," Kaname assured her._

 _Although both girls were indeed lovely, the Kuran noble would take no pleasure from them. They were gifts, given for a purpose, and both would willingly come to his bed if asked. Although the timid one might prove to be some sport, Kaname preferred the chase and the thrill of the hunt. He wished for his women to know what he desired, to struggle in vain to escape their fate...and most of all he wished to witness the light of hope sputter out from their eyes as he took them. That was true pleasure. Lord Jiro must have heard of the one unfortunate victim he had strangled...that was undoubtedly why he had made his remark about any bodies, but that had been an accident. Kaname preferred for them to live. To live, to come work here in the keep, and to watch him with terrified and wounded eyes each time he passed by._

 _"What?!" Hoshino gasped. "No! If you don't, we will be punished." Her pretty grey eyes went wide in horror, and Kaname momentarily toyed with the idea of letting Jiro discover them untouched._

 _But no, that wouldn't suit his purposes. "Forget that, come with me. I have no intention of touching or harming either one of you."_

 _"No, but-!" she protested again, and a rush of annoyance clouded his thoughts for a moment. This blond one was tempting him towards action...towards violence._

 _"Silence. If you don't want to anger me, obey and follow." He was close to anger. He didn't like being refused. And the satisfied, approving expression on Takuma Ichijou's face irritated him so... He wasn't releasing the girls from the good of his heart, although he knew his friend would see it that way. He was Takuma's Lord, so kind and honorable, so wonderful. A laugh nearly stole his throat. It was quite the opposite, in fact, but he preferred Takuma to remain loyal and...well, knowing the truth might alter that loyalty in a troubling manner. After all, Takuma's house supplied him with a considerable amount of men, supplies, and gold._

 _Quickly, the Kuran lord led the girls down the hall where he shoved them at the nearest guard and commanded, "Take these two away from here. Find them a place to stay and some...reputable work."_

 _The girl opened her mouth to protest once more, "Ah, but-"_

 _"It's okay. Be good and go with him," Kaname consoled her, and a moment later the pair of girls had disappeared out of view._

 _"That was an honorable thing you did," Takuma murmured, as the dark-haired youth had known he would. Undoubtedly, the Kuran lord seemed virtuous to his friend's eyes...a necessary deception, for the time being._

 _"Yes...," he agreed._

 _Yes, that was what the city would think, that their lord was good and honorable. If they heard the tale of how Lord Kaname Kuran had rescued two lowly prostitutes from enslavement, it would inspire their loyalty and admiration of him. He needed that admiration, needed the backing of the people and the army so that when he staked his claim to the throne the entire kingdom would stand behind him...and so that they would not believe the dark rumors that surrounded him in the meantime. If he could fool Takuma Ichijou, who was beside him every day, than he could certainly fool the general population who caught of a glimpse of his face perhaps once every few weeks..._

 _Although he was pleased the people and the nobility supported him, he didn't appreciate having to constantly entertain the lords and ladies who came to the Timeless City. Unless they brought swords or gold, he didn't have time for trivialities. He hadn't wanted such a troublesome gift from Lord Jiro, even if releasing the girls was of benefit to him. He didn't like prostitutes. He liked his women kicking and screaming and so very, very unwilling... Taking those women was so much sweeter, and they came for free. Actually, it had been a while since his last conquest, and he was feeling bored. Perhaps it was about time he found a new victim..._

* * *

"Anyway, the princess seems charming," Rima commented, kicking Senri under the table as he scarfed down a cookie in one bite.

"Oh, Yuki is my sunshine. I dote on her, I'm afraid." Kaien's eyes sparked with affection for his niece, oblivious to the seer's wince or Rima's pointed glare at her lover.

"So Zero will protect her..." she mused, eyeing the mahogany-haired young man until he slowed his pace.

"Yes, along with Hanabusa Aidou. It is not a betrothal, but...placing the young Aidou lord at her side... Well, his father hopes for a romance." Kaien seemed amused by this.

"But?" the druid probed.

The king chuckled. "Yuki and Hanabusa do not seem particularly compatible as romantic partners. If the decision is hers, I do not believe he would be her first choice."

"This Zero...he also holds a strong claim to the throne..." Senri spoke, tone thoughtful.

"Indeed. Wouldn't that be interesting?" Kaien chuckled. "A half-blood Kiryuu and a full-blood Kiryuu sitting the throne consecutively...without anyone realizing the power has shifted back to that ancient house..."

* * *

 _"Lord Hanabusa, you are a rare talent with a sword. And I wager you'll be a handsome lad when you're older, too," one of the servants praised, having watched the Aidou lord during sword practice._

 _Hanabusa puffed up with the compliment, and Yuki heard Zero mutter, "With that fat face?" as he eyed the Aidou lord's slightly chubby cheeks._

 _"Zero!" Yuki hissed, smothering a giggle with her hand._

 _"Hey!" Hanabusa whirled, flushing crimson. "Say that to my face!"_

 _"Okay." The silver-haired boy shrugged blithely. "You have a fat face."_

 _The servant blanched, gasping in a shocked voice, "You can't address a high lord in such a manner!"_

 _Zero gave a feigned bow. "Forgive me. I meant to say...plump. No, that was too harsh. Inflated? Round?"_

 _"That's it! Spar me, now!" Hanabusa demanded, face rather unattractively splotching darker red with indignation._

 _"No, stop!" Yuki cried, distressed that her friends were fighting, and gasped as their wooden swords clashed a moment later._

 _The servant scrambled backwards as Zero began to force Hanabusa back almost immediately. Undeterred, the blond fought back with a vengeance, dodging and parrying the older boy in a rather impressive display of swordsmanship, although he was unable to land even a single strike on his opponent. Yuki, however, knew just how skilled Zero was, and was more than impressed by Hanabusa's skill. The silver-haired boy was fast, though, and as they sparred the flat of his blade smacked Hanabusa's legs and arms more than a few times, leaving ugly purple bruises. The fight ended rather abruptly as Zero struck the blond's knee, causing him to stagger, and a moment later a wooden blade was pressed to his neck._

 _"Tch," Hanabusa grumbled, holding up his hands in surrender, and Yuki relaxed, seeing that the spar had come to a peaceful enough conclusion._

 _"Hm. You fight well," Zero admitted begrudgingly._

 _"Well...you do, too." A pause, then the blond lord stood and stuck out his hand. "Truce?"_

 _Zero regarded the proffered hand dubiously for a moment, but then to Yuki's relief clasped it and said, "Truce."_

 _The princess smiled, pleased. She didn't know then that a simple handshake would be the start of a powerful friendship. Nor that over the course of the next year the Aidou lord would lose the chubbiness to his cheeks or that the silver haired youth would grow nearly a foot taller. And she didn't know that one day, alone and weary, fleeing from the capital, these two boys would be the only people she would have to lean on..._

* * *

"But, you must be tired," the king said at last. "My servant will show you to a room where you may rest. We'll reconvene this evening to discuss matters at a greater length...and to talk about this prophecy you have brought me."

"As you wish," Rima agreed.

"From the looks of you, it's an ill tiding. And I prefer not to spoil the day's events with bad news."

"This evening, then." Senri nodded.

"Get some rest. Thank you for your company this afternoon, it's been a pleasure. Until tonight."

The mages bowed and the servant led them from the room. Kaien, left alone in his chambers, thought perhaps he should send his vel vitrum sword with his visitors, to safeguard until the time when the Kiryuu boy at last came of age...as well as a letter, in case he was not able to tell Yuki everything she would one day need to know. But that, he would scribe after hearing the prophecy.

* * *

 **AN:** Every review supports Zero's argument that Hanabusa has fat cheeks. ;)


	54. 54 Hanabusa

**AN:** Annnnnd we're back! Starting up again with 2 of our main heroes, Aidou and Yori. I hope you all enjoyed the bonus chapter. Let me know if you'd like another of those in the future (or not!)

* * *

 **HANABUSA**

At long last, Hanabusa and Yori had found a moment of peace. The town they had stumbled upon was in the middle of their summer festival, and it had only been through great persuasion that the knight had managed to secure them two tiny rooms in the attic of the inn. They had first refilled their water and bought some food for the road, but now they were wandering about the festivities, enjoying the change in atmosphere. Hanabusa regretted not having returned to the inn to drop off their packs, but he knew they would probably retire before terribly long, since they were both tired and looking forward to a night in a bed, despite the cots being narrow and thin.

Although the town was small, on this night it thronged with life. That was why, Hanabusa supposed, it had been so hard to find accommodation here. The wide streets here were either wooden walkways or paths of hard-packed dirt to combat the infringing swamp. Along the streets, residents and visiting travelers had erected stalls to house the variety of food and games the festival offered. As they passed, he noted a shop selling sandwiches and another which sold a variety of cheeses. Further down the street, a different stall advertised small, colorful fish as prizes for a game. There was certainly no shortage of activities or food, although their coin purse was limited in its supply.

Most of the people were dressed up for the occasion in their finest clothes. Hanabusa and Yori presented a very different image in their plain white linens, although they certainly weren't the only ones who were underdressed. They were further differentiated from the crowd, armed with sword and bow, although the alternative had been to leave their weapons unattended at the inn. Hanabusa was sure the inn-keeper was trustworthy, but less sure that the travelers visiting the town during the festival were. And anyway, he preferred to have his sword in case of trouble.

Passing up the stalls, the two nobles picked their way through the crowd to the banks of a wide, slow-moving tributary that fed into the larger bodies of water in the swamp. The water here was a touch more clean and slightly more clear, although still greenish in hue. Tonight, however, the brackish waters had been transformed into a scintillating emerald sea by dozens of golden paper lanterns that floated out towards what would eventually become the ocean. The lanterns, lazily drifting away, were like handfuls of stars strewn about across the surface of the water.

"You're travelers, aren't you?" an unfamiliar voice asked beside him, and the pair turned to see a middle-aged, bearded man with sharp, wide-set black eyes.

Warily, Hanabusa nodded. The man smiled, his brow and eyes crinkling with the beginnings of age, and the knight could see where one of the man's front teeth was missing.

"We light these lanterns every year in the summer, to put aside our grievances and bring peace for the coming months. One never knows how long the summer will last...and it always returns to winter soon enough." The smile vanished from the man's face, eyes growing distant as they watched the lanterns.

"Where do they come from?" the lord asked, and the stranger indicated a stall a few meters away to their left.

"Just there," he said. "They're a half-silver each."

"Thank you," Hanabusa told the man, who nodded in return.

The knight didn't need to ask to know that Yori wanted to send off a lantern. Her hazel gaze was fixated on them, expression distracted and pained. After all that had happened, Hanabusa didn't really want to leave her alone for even a moment, so rather than bring her a lantern he prompted her to follow him with a quiet, "This way." There shouldn't be any danger here, in this little town during a festival, and perhaps he was paranoid, but he was not so overconfident to think that he could protect her from anything if she was too far away. Of course, Yori was not defenseless. She was definitely not Yuki...but even so, her expertise was with a bow, not close combat.

As they stepped up to the stall, the knight merely said, "Two." Hanabusa held up the appropriate amount of fingers and handed the woman a silver coin. She passed him two of the already-lit lanterns, and he in turn passed one to Yori. Then they walked to the edge of the brackish waters, where a few others were setting their lanterns adrift.

Yori knelt at the bank, the flames reflecting red-gold gleams through her hair. For a long moment, she remained still, holding the lantern with her eyes closed. Gradually, her brows knit further and further together, undoubtedly reliving all of the pain and the suffering that she had endured. And then, finally, she released the lantern into the water, watching it drift away and join the rest of its brethren in the galaxy of candle-flame that had transposed itself over the mire.

Hanabusa crouched beside her then, watching her profile, which was cast yellow-orange in the lantern light. He knew that he should use the lantern to wish for Yuki. For their successful return to the capital. For Yuki's ascension to the throne and Kaname's defeat. Or even for Zero to admit his love, for the silver knight and his princess to at last be together the way they should have been for some time now. Yet... He paused, the lantern hovering mere inches above the water. Somehow, he felt that Yuki was not the one who needed wishes or prayers. She was headstrong and energetic and had a knack for accomplishing her goals in the most unexpected ways. No, the person who most needed a wish was the woman before him, the woman who had lost her home and her family and her people and had chosen to fight alongside Yuki in spite of it all. So, as he released the lantern into the water, he sent with it all of his hopes and wishes for Sayori Wakaba. He hoped that her future might be a little brighter. That, despite the terrible wounds fate had inflicted on her, she might find happiness again. Most likely, she would find that happiness with Yuki, after deposing Kaname Kuran and restoring the Virid Wood.

For a long moment, the two watched the lanterns float away with the current. To his surprise, it was Yori who spoke first. "Shall we?" she asked quietly, standing.

He nodded, following as she made her way back into the streets of the town. "Where to?" he inquired.

She paused, looking around with subtle curiosity. At last, she pointed to a fortune-telling booth off to one side of the main square, behind which stood a short wire fence adorned with dozens of paper fortunes. Hanabusa was familiar with the custom. Every summer, towns usually held some celebration, and during it the people could receive their fortunes. Good or bad, they would be tied to the fence to either dispel effects of a bad fortune or multiply the effects of a good one.

They bought their fortunes from a small, amiable man for a copper apiece. The papers were small, thin, folded strips crowded with writing. Hanabusa waited to read his, thinking Yori should be the first to see hers. Hopefully, her fortune was a good one.

"What does your say?" Hanabusa asked as Yori smoothed the thin strip of paper between her fingers.

"It says this year... My luck is a future blessing." Her lips quirked up slightly at one corner. "I suppose that's an improvement."

"What else does it say?"

"Mm..." She peered down at the small paper, squinting slightly in the dim lighting. "This year will have a lot of change and a lot of success. Your health will be good. Your wealth will multiply. What you have most wished for will come true."

"A good fortune," he observed, smiling. "Maybe it means the Wood will be restored, since it says your wealth will improve."

"Maybe," she allowed. "What does yours say?"

The knight unfurled the paper he had drawn. Blue eyes quickly scanned the words, and just as quickly he blanched, saying "Never mind."

"Go on," Yori prodded curiously.

"No, it's okay." With a fortune like this one, he didn't even need his current streak of bad luck.

Before he could crumple the strip and toss it out, however, the archer plucked it from his hand and read, "Future curse. Oh dear."

"I don't need to hear the rest..." he mumbled warily in a futile attempt to prevent her from reciting the contents of the paper. Her hazel eyes were twinkling mischievously and he suspected she would read the fortune anyway.

"This year you will encounter many friends and much failure. A person you have been waiting for will be lost. Your health will be good. You will lose a prized possession." She paused, giggling, "It's not _all_ bad. Your health is at least good..." The knight stared back at her morosely.

"Why is mine so awful..?" he despaired, taking the paper back from her and glaring at it as though the force of his gaze might rearrange the letters to his satisfaction.

"Surely you don't believe in fortunes..?" Yori raised an eyebrow. "If this was coming from a seer I would be inclined to believe it, but..."

"You're right, it's obviously fake." Hanabusa Aidou couldn't have a cursed future. Though, he wouldn't mind having good health or many friends... Regardless, a future curse hardly sounded appealing.

"Still, you should probably tie it to the fence over there just in case it needs dispelling." She indicated the wire fence covered in tiny bits of white paper. From a distance, it seemed almost as though it had been covered with a thick layer of powdery snow.

"You should tie yours there as well so that it can multiply," he advised, and after a moment's hesitation she nodded.

"I don't know if I should though," she commented as they began making their way towards the fence. "If I multiply wealth that's already been multiplied...it seems like a burden..."

"Good. You can share it with me," he grumbled. "At least I could be rich and cursed instead of poor and cursed..."

"You're already rich," she pointed out.

"Not right at this moment," he disagreed, giving his coin purse a despondent shake.

"Well, at least that money only has to last us until we reach Seagate." By this time they had reached the fence, and Yori looped her fortune around one of the wires, knotting it securely before stepping back.

"True..."

Unbidden, the thought dropped like a heavy stone through his mind. _If_ _we make it to Seagate..._ With their current track record of misfortune, he could hardly count on their safe arrival. They had already been delayed time and time again. Perhaps Yuki had already written them off as dead...

Blowing out a sigh, he swiftly fastened his fortune to the fence, tightening the knot in hopes that the force he applied might help dampen any ill effects of the paper. He told himself he didn't believe in omens or fortunes, but in spite of that the uncertainty niggled in the back of his mind. Just in case, it was best to tie the paper here.

A sudden explosion overhead startled the pair of nobles. Hanabusa's sword was already out of its sheath and Yori had already readied her bow when they both realized that the sound was not an imminent attack, as both had presumed, but rather part of the celebration. Overhead, a flower of white flower blossomed outward, embers trailing downward towards the earth as sparkling, falling stars. Feeling a little foolish, the knight replaced his weapon as Yori did the same beside him. They exchanged a sheepish look, tinged with bitterness that they had come to expect every noise, every movement to be a danger. A moment later, a second thunder crack sent green glitter flying across the night sky, and Hanabusa turned his attention upward. Bad luck though they might have, it was at least riddled with small moments of peace.

Above them the stars had become candles arrested in the bubble of night, and periodically across the surface of that bubble flung the brilliant colors of the fireworks. The colors reflected back over the surface of the mire water: red, green, blue, white, yellow... Already, preoccupations about his fortune were fading, forgotten in the glow of the multicolored lights overhead. When his gaze finally settled back on Yori, he saw that her lips had curved upward in a small, promising smile. He felt a smile of his own echo across his lips. It was okay, like this. A sign that perhaps indeed she would have a future blessing and be able to smile again from her heart.

Before he looked skyward once more, his eyes swept across the area. Most of the people were watching the fireworks, although some of those who worked in the stalls continued to sell their wares or host games. Across the throng of townsfolk, a pair of beady, sadistic eyes met his. Recognition shocked through his system like ice. Immediately, his hand had locked around Yori's arm, senses flaring sharply to take the entire square into account. From the look of the situation, there were several yards spacing them apart.

The shout crackled across the space like the lash of a whip, uttered in a voice the knight had hoped never to hear again in his life. "Ha! There they are! Guards!" Even across the distance, Hanabusa could see a vicious smile dancing across the boy's lips.

He could never forget that voice, or those violent eyes. Rei Touma. Maybe his future curse wasn't so distant. After all, the little monster was still here, drawing breath, against all odds.

Hanabusa didn't have time to think about it. Nor did he have time to mourn the cot, fitted with fresh sheets, that waited for him back at the inn. Instead, all he thought about was fleeing the town and hiding in the dark cover of the night.

Once again, it seemed that they were running.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry, nope, there's no rest for aidori. Can't stop won't stop.


	55. 55 Akatsuki

**AN:** Heyyyy look who it is. It's been a while since we heard from Kain! Remember that message Aidou sent off a few chapters back? Well, here it is.

* * *

 **AKATSUKI**

Noon fell heavily upon the capital, hot and balmy with humidity. To combat the heat, all of the windows in Akatsuki's chambers had been thrown open, and just behind him a servant wielded a wide, wooden fan while he lunched. The breeze was pleasant and kept him from a sweat. Today, the meal reflected the temperature: an assortment of fruits and light fare of bread, cheese, and fish. For dessert, he expected there would be something chilled; perhaps ice cream.

He was about to begin his meal when a servant materialized by his arm, bowing and murmuring, "Lord Akatsuki, a message arrived for you today." The servant passed over the tightly bound scroll, sealed with plain, unadorned wax.

Curiously, he inquired, "Where did the message come from?"

"I'm sorry, Milord, it arrived by raven during the night... I cannot say." The servant looked abashed.

"Never mind, then. Thank you." Immediately, he stood and dismissed all of the servants in the room.

Once he was alone, Akatsuki broke the seal of the wax and unfurled the paper. The note itself gave no indication to its origin. It was simple, plain, slightly aged paper. The signature at the bottom of the paper, however, told a different story. Eyes widening, the knight quickly scanned the letter.

 _Dear cousin,_

 _I dare not send word to the Azure Fortress, and I am almost certain my father is with you in the capital. Please inform him that I am alive, as well as Princess Yuki, Zero Kiryuu, and the Lady Sayori Wakaba, sole surviving heir to the Virid Wood._

 _Hanabusa Aidou_

 _P.S. Do not trust Kaname Kuran._

Akatsuki chuckled. He didn't need Hanabusa to tell him that. He leaned against the table, relieved beyond words that his cousin and the princess were alive. To think that someone had survived the tragedy that had befallen The Vale, as well...and she was an heir, no less. It seemed that luck was on Yuki Kuran's side after all. This Sayori Wakaba would be a powerful ally if Yuki chose to oppose the new king. He hoped fervently that she would.

Quickly, he moved to the inner chamber of his rooms, where he drew a box of matches from his bedside table. Then, he returned to the dining table, where he placed the message on the center of his empty plate and lit a match, igniting the strip of paper and dropping the match on top as it greedily consumed the thin material. Slowly, he watched as the paper was consumed, curling up into a blackened wisp until it at last charred to ash. Grimly, he thought that the situation in the capital would go the same way. Once the first match was lit, the rest would go up in flames. Things were beginning to split at the seams in Ashgate. He had witnessed it when he had rescued Maria Hio, and every day there was further proof. Kaname would have to act quickly or risk losing the city.

Without wasting time, the knight exited his chambers and made a beeline towards those of his uncle, Lord Nagamichi Aidou. It seemed wise that Hanabusa had sent his message to Akatsuki rather than directly to his father, although still dangerous. Still, the princess didn't have many certain allies left among the palace. The only person whose loyalty Hanabusa could count on was his cousin's, although Akatsuki knew that recently many nobles were beginning to question the king's policies and character.

The redhead knocked on his uncle's doors, and a moment later he was ushered inside. Nagamichi was eating the same meal the Kain knight had been given, and immediately enjoined his nephew to join him. "Come, dine with me," the older man beckoned.

The knight said instead, "If we might have a moment alone?"

Lord Aidou gave him a shrewd, piercing look, and gestured to the door, addressing the servants, "Alright, all of you out." A few beats later, they were alone. "Tell me," the older lord ordered, and as a precaution the knight stepped to the table rather than speak from across the room. He didn't want his words to carry beyond the present company.

Akatsuki leaned close, shielding his lips from view as he whispered in his uncle's ear, "I've received a message from Hanabusa. He's alive. He didn't reveal his location, but he wanted me to send word to you that he was alive, as well as the princess and another noble, the Lady Sayori Wakaba."

As the red-haired knight straightened, he saw a grain of emotion flick through the elder man's eyes. Instead of the hard, stony exterior he usually displayed, for a moment the Kain noble saw relief and gratitude. The lines on Nagamichi's face relaxed slightly and the set of his shoulders dropped a quarter inch. He only nodded, a measure he took as he suspected Kaname of spying upon him, rather by traditional means or via magic.

"And what did you do with the paper?" Nagamichi murmured in an undertone.

"I burned it immediately after," he said, now moving to sit opposite his uncle.

"There is still a chance that it was seen."

"The seal was unbroken, My Lord," Akatsuki answered, eyebrows pulling together with worry.

"Even so..." Nagamichi tapped a calloused finger against the table. "Nevertheless, this is excellent news. I had feared much worse..."

"Lord Kaname will be enraged if he discovers this," the knight whispered, this time his volume even softer.

Lord Aidou grunted, punctuating his words with a single laugh. "Angry snakes lash out. Makes chopping off their heads that much easier."

The redhead's eyebrows shot up this time, and he glanced around the room, alarmed. "Is that wise to say aloud, Uncle?"

"Kaname knows I have no love for him," the blond lord dismissed the words of his nephew easily. "It is no secret that if the opportunity presented itself I would strike against him. He is confident he knows me and that he can counter any maneuver I might attempt."

"Can he?" the knight queried.

"Not quite." The words were a touch smug. "By the way, Nephew..." The man selected an apple carefully and begin to cut sections from it with his knife. "My informants tell me that the reason for your continued stay here in Ashgate is none other than the lady Ruka Souen."

Akatsuki flinched. Was it truly so obvious?

"A charming girl. As I've said, I don't favor marriages made because of love." Lord Aidou placed the apple's center to the side and began to consume the fruit. "However, it is not in your best interest to remain here. It would be a simple matter to arrange a marriage to her, and once you were back home I would be free to act here as I please without having to worry about you. You may not be my son, but you are my blood, and if I can help it I'd rather if you didn't become collateral damage."

A simple matter..? Yes, he supposed it would be. As so many others had pointed out, he and Ruka would have made a very suitable match in every possible way. If he had been his brother, the match would have been arranged long ago. Yet, he refused to inflict Ruka with a marriage she did not desire. Even if he, in turn, desired her to his very core.

"The Lady Ruka will soon be engaged to Lord Rido Kuran..." He didn't bother to deny his uncle's information. Lord Aidou could spot a lie from a mile away.

"Ha." Nagamichi snorted. "A trifling concern. I'll send a message to Lord Souen on the morrow."

"No, please," Akatsuki intervened instantly with a shake of his head. "Ruka doesn't want a match with me. And I could never be happy if she wasn't..."

"Nonsense. You won't get anywhere if you don't assert yourself, Akatsuki. I didn't get where I am today by being a passive man. Passive men are pushed aside in this world. Ruka is a youngest child and a daughter in a family of sons. She, by circumstances of her birth, does not get to choose her suitor. So choose it for her."

The knight remained silent, passive just as his uncle had described him. Perhaps that was why he was in such a painful position now, because he lacked the strength to act. Still... Still... He did not want to make Ruka cry. He did not want to be the source of her misery. If he was to do as his uncle suggested, he would only loathe himself for his decision.

"Be thankful you weren't raised under my hand, Nephew. I would not have permitted you to become thus." Nagamichi's tone and expression were stern.

Akatsuki stood then, bowing to show his intention to leave. To appease the lord, he said, "I will think on it, Uncle. What you say is sound advice, to be sure."

"Very well, then," Lord Aidou scowled, and the redhead took his leave, not wishing to further provoke the elder lord's displeasure.

Rather than return to his rooms to finish lunch, however, the knight instead went to find Ruka. She had been so hopeful that she might wed Lord Takuma, instead of Rido. Now, that match was impossible, unless she wanted to wed his tombstone. She was probably sulking again, and would be in need of some cheering up.

It wasn't long before he chanced upon the noble lady. She was seated on one of the benches in front of the swan fountain that stood in the center of the central gardens. It was one of her favorite haunts, and as it was a particularly hot day, he knew the misty spray of the fountain waters would lure her. Today, she was dressed in a white, sleeveless gossamer gown. Her rich, honey tresses had been left free to spill across her bare shoulders, although as he approached she pulled her hair over one shoulder and began to braid it idly. Unable to help himself, his eyes began to trace the contours of her arms, shoulders, collarbone, neck... As always, she left him breathless. Her expression, however, was one of sorrow.

"Has something happened?" he asked once he was close enough for her to hear him, sitting beside her immediately.

Ruka glanced up, apparently surprised to see him, and then pursed her lips. "No, not really." She sighed. "I took your advice and I spoke with my parents. I suggested Lord Takuma as my husband. They were...reluctant, as he is only a minor lord, but they put the arrangements for my engagement to Lord Rido on hold while they considered it since he is an eldest son, after all, and will inherit the Stormy Isles one day. But now, of course, Lord Takuma is dead." She was pressing her lips into a flat, melancholic line. "So naturally, the engagement to Rido will proceed."

"And Kaname?" he dared to ask.

"I don't care about him anymore," she replied haughtily, eyes fastened to the fountain, though he saw the dejection tremble across her features despite her effort to mask it. His fingers curled into a fist. If Kaname hadn't been the king, Akatsuki would have liked to punch him for the pain he had caused Ruka.

"There has to be someone else that they would consider," he offered, hoping to distract himself against his violent thoughts and hoping against all hope that she would now, at long last, speak his name.

"I won't let them bully me into this engagement, that is certain," she stated with confidence. "It is exasperating, though. I wonder why all of my thoughts and feelings work against me. I really wonder why..." She trailed off, fingers pausing against her hair as her lips sloped downward into a frown.

Akatsuki limited himself to saying, "Ruka... It is becoming increasingly unsafe here... There is unrest on the streets, I've seen it with my own eyes. Kaname's soldiers are out of hand and the citizens despise them. The people are oppressed and threatened and I fear that soon the situation will erupt..." He hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

Steady brown eyes met his. "I won't leave."

"Ruka, please... I... I don't want to see you hurt."

The noble woman tied off the end of her braid and placed a pale, slender-boned hand against his. "Thank you. Though I'm already aware that it isn't safe."

"Then, why stay?" he inquired seriously, perplexed. If it wasn't because of Kaname, then why..?

She returned her hand to her lap and laced her fingers together. "I refuse to return home until my parents rethink their plan to marry me to Lord Rido. You needn't worry about me. As I've told you countless times, I can look after myself."

"I know you can." Regardless of whether or not Ruka was capable of looking out for herself, Akatsuki would not budge from her side until she left Ashgate. And even then, he preferred to remain beside her.

"Frankly I'm tired of everyone either entirely dismissing me," he detected a hint of bitterness there, "or being overprotective. I'm a cool, dependable woman. I don't know how many times I need to prove that."

"Ruka, I have never doubted you, not once," he told her earnestly. "But as your friend, it would pain me to leave you here alone in a potentially perilous situation."

The noble lady sighed slightly. "It's not really you I'm flustered with..." she murmured in a rare admittance. She seemed to have deflated slightly, though he couldn't guess her thoughts.

"Your parents?" he hazarded.

She shrugged lightly, lips quirked sardonically, and he knew he had guessed correctly. In hopes of brightening her mood, he added, "I have faith that any husband of your choosing would be more than worthy."

She smiled then, albeit sadly, a rose in full bloom in the heat of the summer, beautiful and yet impossible to take for himself for all of the thorns that grew outwards, blocking his hand each time reached towards her. "If only my family shared such a sentiment."

"Ruka," he spoke her name suddenly, like an incantation. Producing just the syllables that formed her name shot desire through his veins. It was unbearable. Momentarily emboldened, he declared, "If the situation here does indeed deteriorate, you need only to ask and I will escort you home to safety. Or, if you do not wish to return there, you are always welcome at Sunridge Fort."

"Thank you," she told him sincerely. "I hope it doesn't come to that..."

Automatically, he responded, "Nor I," even as it occurred to him that perhaps, in actuality, he did. If the situation deteriorated here, Nagamichi could finally make a decisive move, and what was more, Akatsuki would have Ruka's company away from the court, at least for some time.

"Besides, I have complete faith that you'll keep me safe here." She uttered these words as a statement of fact, the trust they placed in him touching him profoundly. Perhaps romantically, there was no hope for him, but as a friend and a knight, Ruka might even have been overly confident in his abilities.

"I will do my best," he told her. "I promise you that." In his heart the promise echoed with the power of an oath. He would keep Ruka safe. Even at the cost of his own life.

* * *

 **AN:** So how many of you want Kain and Ruka to get together, and how many of you would like to see Kain and Maria get together? I'm very curious now that many of you have told me you wanted to see more of Kain/Maria together!


	56. 56 Takuma

**AN:** /WARNING/ again for the torture, just in case. I think this chapter isn't so bad though. Message me for a chapter summary if you don't want to read.

* * *

 **TAKUMA**

Takuma slumped feebly in the shackles that contained him. His once-vibrant eyes had seemed to become ashen green, his skin dusty in the nightmarish darkness. His skin bore no scars, no trace of his torment...yet... If there had been even a single candle lit, he would have seen the dark crimson blotches sunk deep into the damp stone floor. But no, there was not a flicker of light, only darkness that infused over his pupils, stamped over his thoughts, squirming purple-black tentacles through his heart. His every waking moment was defined either by the dark or by Sara Shirabuki, a demon of pale, golden beauty suffused with cold cruelty and compassionless brutality.

And always, ringing through the empty depths of his mind, were her words: _"You are mine, Takuma Ichijou."_

There were moments during which he was nearly overcome with gibbering, agonizing insanity. Those were the sessions when he was cut open, torn apart, and dissected in ways he had never thought possible. Yet, in spite of it all, he had not forgotten himself altogether. He had not forgotten sunlight, flowers, open air... He had not forgotten Kaname's broken trust. And then, remembering all of the failures that pieced together to create his life, he thought once more that being Sara's prisoner and enduring her torments was his rightful punishment.

A faint light illuminated the hall, and he heard the click of shoes against the floor. Takuma shuddered horribly, body shaking in remembrance of his former tortures and in hellish anticipation of what was to come. Dry sobs wracked his body as he pleaded desperately beneath his breath for death. Death, to end his suffering and pain and to bring him into the sweet, enveloping and total black that would carry away all of his twisted, broken memories and his sins.

But the woman who opened the cell door now was not Sara Shirabuki.

Confused, Takuma blinked, shaking his head. An illusion? A trick? It didn't seem possible that anyone other than Sara should come here. And yet here stood Yui Shirabuki, her younger sister, looking down pale lashes in unveiled disgust at his surroundings. She curled her lip back slightly before placing the lantern she carried on the floor and folding her arms in what he could only decipher as contempt.

"How despicable," she declared, as though expecting her pronouncement to spring magically to life and cleanse the room.

He stared at her from hollow eyes, unresponsive. His physical state, repaired so many times by Joko, did not reflect his state of mind. He felt as though he should be no more than skin and bones, gaunt and decrepit, even though that was not the case. He should have been dead, at the very least. Sara rarely graced him with a scrap of food, and when she did he could never be certain if it was poisoned. To his horror, in spite of everything, he was still alive.

Yui flounced her head, her shoulder-length, blond-brown hair rippling like writhing worms in the dirty light. Her eyes, which he knew to be blue, looked like gaping holes to him. He shivered, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the ghastly images, though they began to permeate his brain through the barrier of his eyelids despite his efforts. Perhaps he had been so damaged that he could never again look upon the world again without his mind warping it.

"Well," she said, and when he continued to say nothing she sighed. "I haven't come to torture you, idiot."

He almost gave a dry laugh. She was still just as cheeky as he remembered her. But she was also right. He was such an idiot, such a damnable fool...

"Takuma, it's really pitiable what Sara has done with you. I want to help you. I may even still be in love with you. I haven't decided yet. It's rather dank in here..."

No. His mind instantly rejected her words, her confession. She didn't want to help him. This was another torture designed by Sara. A far worse one.

"Fine, don't say anything. Or did she cut out your tongue?" the girl demanded. "Never mind. I'll get to the point. Sara has betrothed me to Lord Shiro Souen, Lord Souen's second son. It's not a bad match, but you were originally supposed to be my husband and I'm not fond of Lazuli Lakes. I'm willing to risk Sara's wrath and let you out of here on one condition: you have to swear to me with a blood oath that you will be my husband."

No. This was a trap. Once again, Sara was dangling his freedom before him, enticingly near and yet forever beyond his reach. As she had before...

He swallowed against a hard lump in his throat. Not long before, Sara had sent a servant down with food, a servant who had broken him out of the cell. They had fled, into the hills, pursued by hounds...only for the servant to deliver him to Sara's feet once again, before the day had come to a close. He could still feel the sting of her laughter, the biting edge to her words as she had told him, _"There is no escape from me, Takuma."_ This was the same. Another test. And for the sake of his sanity, he did not wish to fail again.

"Get out," he rasped, the syllables clinging like bile to his teeth and scraping thickly against his throat like nails on a chalkboard. His screams of pain had long since turned his throat hoarse and raw.

She seemed offended. "I offer you your freedom, and you spit in my face?"

If he'd had the saliva or the energy, he might have done just that. Instead, he glowered at her weakly.

"I never beg, but... I'll ask you one last time." She stepped closer, staring at him intently as she asked, "Please, come with me? I can't bear to see you treated thus."

He wanted so badly to believe those words. That she would free him, even if the cost was wedding her. Yui was not Sara. She was temperamental and obsessive, yes, but...she was not Sara. He trembled. He could not accept. Could not even entertain the barest hint of the notion. To continue to have his hopes shred would be the end of him.

"I..." His lips seemed to cry as he said, "I belong here." How far he had fallen. How pitiful he had become. Kaname would have scorned him beyond a shadow of a doubt. His mind was racing in frantic circles like a mouse in a maze. Every choice he made seemed like the wrong one.

Yui shook her head. "So you really are an idiot." She stretched out her hand as though to touch him, but he flinched away, eyes widening as he gasped in conditioned fear. Her eyes, glacial blue, melted for a moment to pity. "She really is breaking you to her will, isn't she..?" And then Yui turned on her heel, picking up the lantern and moving to the door. "Farewell, Takuma."

The lantern light shuddered and then died in the recesses of the passage. Takuma hung his head in shame. He didn't want this...but he dared not even move his littlest finger without Sara's express permission. He did not want to see his organs removed, one by one, to be cradled in Lady Shirabuki's manicured hands, or to lose his senses to overwhelming pain...not ever, ever again. He had lost the will to fight her long ago, lost his protestations and reasoning and defiance. Now was only the hopeless acceptance of a man who had lost everything.

And still, a fly caught and spun into the web, he did not regret his decision to help the princess and her knights. Even though it had betrayed Kaname's trust and left him stranded here in agony... He could not regret sparring innocents. He could not regret delivering justice where such wrong had been done. Even if the breeze or the summer heat or the calls of birds were things denied to him now.

Forsaken. He had become completely, utterly forsaken.

The light returned, more slowly this time. With it came two pairs of footsteps. This time for certain, it was her. This time... He trembled violently, the motion causing the chains to knock and clack and clank against the humid wall behind him. Please no, please no, please no..! His thoughts faded to a near scream as the all-too-familiar figure pushed open the cell door. Takuma's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, scrabbling for air, suffocating on his own fear as Joko entered behind her, carrying the case of tools as he always did.

"Takuma, darling..." Sara purred, setting down her own light much as Yui had. "I must say, Yui's actions were quite unexpected..."

For a moment, Takuma felt a rush of triumph for spotting the trap before he had fallen into it. And then Sara frowned, saying, "Really, she'll have to be punished..."

His heart stopped. Not a trap..? Mind reeling, he shut his eyes tight. But, Sara had caught her nonetheless. He, too, would have been caught in her spider's web if he had accepted her younger sister's offer, and drug back down here again...

"I must admit, I'm a little proud of you. You chose me instead of her." Sara's voice was close, and a moment later he felt her cool fingertips against his cheek. His quivering increased, and he pressed his lips together hard, waiting for the pain that he knew would surely come.

"Look at me, Takuma," the noble lady whispered, and fearfully, tremulously, he obeyed.

In the lighting of the cell, her gaze seemed like a viscous, sickly green poison. And underneath, the blue that was there had force enough to freeze him in place, terror binding him into still, obedient silence. She was a spider, and her poison had already coursed through his veins so entirely that he could not twitch a single muscle against her will.

"Let me ask you a question..." Her fingers continued to stroke down his cheek, tantalizing him with the promise of tenderness and terrifying him with the knowledge that her nails would break his fragile skin. "What are you, Takuma Ichijou? A lord? A man? A prisoner? A swordsman?" One pale blond eyebrow arched upwards.

His teeth were chattering. What did she have planned this night? Depending on his answer, would she mete out a different punishment? He could feel his palms growing slick with sweat. Panicked, his eyes tried to escape hers, and found they could not. She was waiting, poised to strike, a venomous black widow with her fangs already unsheathed and ready to suck him dry of every last drop of his sanity.

His words were almost unintelligible through his shaking. "I am yours," he whispered, feeling as though his very soul had just been dislocated with this admission.

Scarlet-painted fingers paused in surprise. He saw something flicker in her eyes, black and predatory, and then a strange, beautifully insane smile swept up her lips. Her arms twined around his neck now, mouth pressing against his ear as she demanded, "Again."

He jerked as though he might evade her arms, his movement made instinctively out of fear. For a moment, his tongue failed him, and he only produced a nonsensical syllable. And then, feeling her tense and expecting the worst at any moment, any second, he quickly begged, "Please, please Sara. I'm yours. I'm yours, I'm yours. Please..." His last words choked off into a sob.

Please. Let me go. Stop this. Anything but this. He was going to plummet forever into the depths of madness if she didn't stop. He was not entirely broken yet, but if this continued…if she continued to rob him of his humanity like this…he would. He could feel it as though her hands were physically pushing him off the ledge. His breaths were becoming frantic, ragged with dread as he awaited her response.

And then, abruptly moving her left hand, she turned his head towards her and pushed her mouth against his feverishly. For a moment, he almost regained himself. He could feel his pulse tick in his jaw, revolted and horrified, but just as quickly that part of him was tossed aside as his survival instincts washed over him and the endless torture she inflicted on him flashed through his mind and his body. And, though a tiny, sequestered fragment of himself cursed and damned him for it, he kissed her back, albeit with all the force or passion of a frightened, timid mouse.

When she broke away from him, he pleaded with her again in desperation. "I'm yours."

"That is all I ever wanted," she murmured, eyes transmuting into liquid, seductive aquamarine.

Joko was waiting very patiently for the session to begin, but to both the mage's and Takuma's shock she waved him off dismissively. "No, nothing today, I think. In fact, I think Takuma might enjoy supping with me this evening in my chambers. Wouldn't you?"

Immediately, he nodded, relief bubbling through every cell of his body as she blessedly, finally unlocked the chains that bound him. He collapsed at her feet, grateful and ecstatic and confused all at once, but when she proffered her hand to him he did not hesitate to take it.

His legs were a little shaky as he stood, although nothing compared to the tremors that gripped him as she tugged him after her and whispered ominously, "Tonight you will be completely mine."

It took every ounce of his pathetic, feeble strength not to crumple into a weeping, defeated heap once more. His body had gone numb. He was being dragged into the depths of an abyss of infinite darkness, with no hope of return.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry... I know, it's horrible. But if he had just played along with Sara from the beginning she wouldn't have gone nutso on him... Just saying, just saying... (Though he doesn't deserve this treatment).


	57. 57 Yori

**YORI**

Tired. She was so, so very tired. Her lips were dry and cracked, her arms and legs scratched raw from briars, her hair tangled with leaves, and worst of all, her limbs weighed down like anchors. Once she had laid down, out of sight beneath the only bush large enough to conceal her and Hanabusa from immediate sight, her body had given out. She needed rest, desperately, yet she doubted she would get the chance. Not while Rei Touma pursued them. He was relentless, and never far behind them. Not far off in the distance, the terrain became more wooded, and it was there that she knew they would either lose the boy or face certain capture.

"I'm putting my sword here, between us," Hanabusa whispered, laying down the blade beside her, hilt by her hand and ready to use. "That way, if something comes and you wake up first..." He didn't have to explain further. She nodded mutely, shutting red, tired eyes.

Truthfully, if something came, she wondered if she'd be able to get on her feet fast enough to hold them off. As it was, both her feet were ragged and sore... Vaguely, she remembered the mattress back at the hostel... The mattress that had burned with the rest of the place...with Beruka inside. With Kaze a bloodied corpse outside its doors. A shuddering breath escaped her lungs. Who would have thought that she might one day consider mere children her enemy...

"We'll get through this. You and I both, together," the knight murmured, seeming to sense the lean of her thoughts, and abruptly she pressed her lips together, a new kind of sorrow pricking against the backs of her eyes.

Yori nodded again in response without speaking; every thought, every inch of her heart weighing as heavily as her limbs. Would there ever be an end to this? She could scarcely imagine it, scarcely even think through her fatigue. Her days were narrowed into a dark tunnel. How large was the Basin? Would Rei pursue them across Sakaido, across the Nine Kingdoms, just to get what he wanted? Just for revenge?

The thought caught in her throat, a dense lump. Yes, probably. She knew what Rei Touma was like. Sadistic, cunning, and more than anything, childish. He was still very much a boy, and little boys didn't like to lose. He'd enjoyed tormenting them during their captivity, and she saw no reason why he wouldn't continue to do so. She had no desire to be abused by the Toumas, but... Could she really escape him? If she went with them freely, could it save Hanabusa from a similar or worse fate?

The words echoed back through her ears, " _We'll get through this. You and I both, together."_

It seemed like a possibility that could only exist within a dream. The chances of them both surviving and avoiding capture were miniscule. Yet...she wanted to believe it, and despite all of their misfortune, she still clung to hope. Perhaps it was because she was not alone, but with Hanabusa, who she trusted implicitly and completely. Over these past weeks, without realizing it, she'd come to depend entirely on him. Her life was in his hands and vice versa on a daily basis, and he'd already saved her more than once. Despite the circumstances, he always seemed to know what to say, to lift her spirits when she felt crushed under the weight of so much sorrow and so much loss.

She'd thought that she couldn't lose anything more; her home and her family had been ripped from her, and she was separated from the only friend she had left. But, when his words echoed in her ears, she knew that wasn't so. Hanabusa remained, here beside her, more than just a simple friend or companion. She didn't know how to describe it; his presence was as equally necessary for her as the water or food that sustained her tired body, because somehow, together, that dim chance of evading Rei Touma seemed less distant and unattainable. Without him, she wondered if she'd have the will to go on. And right now, the scant moments of peace they shared, at the hostel or at the festival, were the only happy memories she had to cling to... After all...thinking of anything else brought with it immeasurable grief, as well.

 _Together._ Yes...now her life was inextricably tied to his. And she was grateful that there was someone with her, but...there was also the constant, nauseating fear that like her family, like Beruka and Kaze, Hanabusa, too, would meet his end...and she would once again be a helpless spectator, unable to save him...

"Sorry..." the knight spoke at last. "It's because of my fortune...you're getting sucked into my bad luck."

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. He was really still worrying over that little piece of paper. "Thanks a lot," she retorted.

She heard him shift uncomfortably and mutter, "And there's a rock in my back." A moment later she heard said rock bouncing away.

A faint smile traced her lips. "It's your fortune at work again."

"I thought we dispelled it," he grumbled.

"Maybe...you can't really dispel fate." The sentence made her frown suddenly.

Opening her eyes, Yori stared up at the interlacing brush overhead, eyebrows drawing together. She had never believed in destiny, in fortunes, or in anything similar, yet...without a doubt, terrible things continued to happen around her, wildly spinning her life beyond her control. Was this fate, then? Were the deaths of her people, the destruction of her village, even the death of the king...were they all inescapable? Was the future written in stone, inscribed with permanent ink that could never be changed? If that was the case, why was she fighting? Inevitably, then...wouldn't Rei catch them?

They were silent for a long time before he refuted quietly, "I don't believe that."

Eyes lost in the darkness, tracing the barely visible outline of the shrubbery above, she asked, "Then...what do you believe?"

A sigh. "I don't know. But that...it seems too cruel. I want to think that we have some power to shape the future..."

"I hope so..."

She did hope that her own future might be salvaged from this wreckage. Fate or not, life was cruel. Contrary to all that she'd been taught growing up, there was no justice in it. Yet...hoping would never bring back her younger sisters, her little brother... Hoping would never restore her people or her home or her father's life. She'd never stand beside her father as he grew old, never again walk the wooden bridges that connected that treetop town, and worst of all...never watch her siblings grow up.

Even though she was their sister, she'd always felt more like a mother to her siblings. When her parents were occupied with running the kingdom, she'd shown them all the attention her father and stepmother couldn't. She'd been there when her brother and sisters had taken their first steps, when they'd first begun to talk, when they'd first begun to question the world around them. She'd held their hands the first times they'd ventured out to explore The Vale, dried their tears when they were sad, and joined in their laughter... More than her father, more than her stepmother, more than her people and the town, she wished she could save her siblings. Their young, innocent lives didn't deserve to be slaughtered on the whim of a vengeful king...

A gentle touch brushed against her hand, and a moment later her fingers found the knight's, holding on to him tightly. She was being torn apart in so many directions, faced with so many regrets and fears and haunted by the ghosts of so many memories. But...fingers entwined with his, she was reminded that she wasn't alone. Tomorrow, they'd continue on, together. Tomorrow, they'd keep fighting towards the ever-distant day when they might escape the Brackmire Basin. And for now, that was enough to keep her from utter despair.

At last, Yori drifted off into a broken, dreamless sleep. At times she thought she could glimpse faces in the darkness behind her eyes, but they vanished like smoke the moment she tried to make out their features. She was jolted awake by each small noise, awakening terrified that the scampering of a small animal was the sound of Rei Touma's hunting party fast approaching. Eventually, she slept with her hand curled around the hilt of the sword. She'd never trained with a blade, but the weapon steadied her anxiety and permitted her to sleep a little longer.

The dawn brought with it the howls of hounds. Hearing that sound...all the hope dropped from her stomach and settled like lead in her feet. _Ah..._ she thought, exhausted beyond word or feeling, _this is the end for us..._ But even so, the hand that tugged her to her feet and steered her towards the trees inspired her aching limbs with a second wind. Maybe she had a little more strength left in her after all. Perhaps she wasn't ready to give up just yet. Not yet. The touch of his palm against hers somehow resonated a strength of will that steeled her to keep moving forward.

The situation was hopeless; Yori knew they were doomed after hearing those howls. A hound could track them through the woods with far more efficiency than mere men. However...

All the same, seeing the determination that illuminated those blue eyes, her feet did not stop.

* * *

 **AN:** Things are looking grim for Aidori. And, looking forward to some increased drama over the next few chapters as things start heating up in the capital - I'm not talking about the weather! -shot for lame pun-


	58. 58 Ruka

**AN:** Eyyyy it's everyone's least favorite noblewoman, Ruka Souen! Starring, more hated characters, Shizuka Hio and Kaname Kuran! -claps obnoxiously-

* * *

 **RUKA**

Ruka looked around the lavish celebration with envy. In honor of the Lady Shizuka and Lord Ichiru's matrimony, Kaname had thrown an elaborate celebration. Long tables draped with silk cloths in the colors of the Hio household, had been erected in the central garden and now that evening had brushed its colors over the sky with a pastel-dipped brush, the cooler temperatures paired with the spray from the swan fountain created a very pleasant atmosphere. The ambiance was further amplified by bouquets of pink and white roses and pink and white tea candles, which decorated the tables. In the trees, spherical paper lanterns had been strung, also in the same shades of pink and white. The garden was overcast with a pale rosy hue as a result of the color combination, giving the celebration a magical quality.

Turning her eyes now to the bride and groom, the Souen noble felt another pang of jealousy. Lady Shizuka wore an exquisite gown of lavender that offset the colors of the garden perfectly. Embroidered cherry blossoms extended down her bodice, which was heart-shaped to perfectly show off her alabaster shoulders, and climbed up the hem at the bottom and trailed along her train. Her shoes, as well, were a work of art: plain white, although the heel was a long, thin cherry blossom that bloomed over the back of the shoe. Beside her, Lord Ichiru wore a matching tunic, vest, and pants of lavender trimmed in pink blossoms. His hair had been brushed over his shoulders, shimmering silver touched with the rose hues of the lights. Ruka thought he rather resembled Zero Kiryuu, although Ichiru was most likely a Hio. It had never exactly been stated which family Ichiru was from, though certainly Kaname could have told her the answer, at the very least. But perhaps he and Zero were cousins... Ichiru would have been the more refined of the two, of course, and more to Ruka's taste, with his long lashes and calm repose.

The vows the bride and groom had shared had been simple but elegant, and the ceremony kept short in order to prolong the celebration. The Souen noble thought that Ichiru seemed nervous, while Shizuka radiated haughty confidence. If there was any noble here who rivaled Ruka's poise and beauty, it was Shizuka, although the Souen lady was loathe to admit it. Now, the newly wedded pair sat at the center of the head table beside Lord Kaname as the entertainment and feasting began. Ruka knew that there would be dancing, singing, juggling, theater, and more. The first dish that the servants were bringing out now was a salad with raspberry vinaigrette, a perfect choice for a summer wedding. All of it, all the minuscule details of the celebration, seethed in the pit of the honey-haired noble's stomach.

The wedding, the festivities, the food and the decor and the guests...everything was exactly as Ruka would have pictured it for herself. A summer celebration with blossoms and sunshine... Of course, in her dreams she had always pictured Kaname beside her as she was crowned queen. The golden, gemmed circlet of the crown would have been cool against her skin as it settled over her brow. And she would have glanced up into Kaname's dark, beautiful eyes and felt truly and completely blessed. Ruka Souen knew her dream of being the king's bride was futile, though. He had already refused not only her but her family as well. Deep down, she knew he was power-hungry. Marrying her, the youngest child of the Souen's, would not elevate his status any further. No, those ravenous eyes settled on greater prey. Shizuka was lost to him now, but there was still Sara Shirabuki or Tsukiko Aidou, both heirs to their father's lands and both from powerful families. Although, it did not bode well for Kaname that Takuma had been killed while entering the Ochre Hills to discuss the possible engagement...

Ruka watched the king now from beneath a curtain of amber-tinted lashes. He was seated at one end of the small table reserved for the bride, groom, and their families. He was still gorgeous, his profile stark against the flowery background, but now she thought perhaps the mysterious depths of his eyes were ominous, shadowed... As she observed him, she noted a subtle rise of one side of his mouth in a sinister, barely ascertainable smirk. She blinked, and just as quickly it was gone, replaced with the calm facade he usually wore. Behind him, his Bloodguard Seiren stood at quiet attention, a formidable figure with her black eye patch sewn with the royal crest in crimson thread.

The noble shook her head, dismissing the strange turn of her thoughts. Kaname was a perfect specimen of gentility and refinement. He was everything she had ever dreamt of in a husband, even as a child. And now that he was completely beyond her reach, she began to feel the heat of ire flush across her heart. Even if wedding her would not increase his status, wasn't her beauty and noble lineage enough? Emotions flaring hotly, she ground her heel into the ground beneath the table, safely out of sight. She was _more_ than qualified to be his wife. For him to so thoroughly refuse her was insulting. In spite of all of her charms, none of the noble men she pursued ever returned her sentiments. The only one who cared for her at all was Akatsuki, and obviously she would never agree to that particular match.

Thoughts taking a different direction now, she peeked up at the tall red-headed knight seated beside her and smiled. Akatsuki had been her closest companion for as long as she could remember. As children, she had grown far closer to the gentle, stoic knight than to his impish, spoiled cousin. He had always been someone she could rely on completely, and as such her trust in him was unbreakable. And, although Akatsuki was noble-born and a second son, he had never acted the part of the politician. Instead, he had always remained honest, humble, and mild. He had the soul and the virtue of a knight, and for this she was grateful. He had never lied to her, and if she asked advice or for his opinion, he always gave it to her freely and truthfully. There was a tangible difference between his words and those of the other noblemen. And, of course, he spoiled her terribly. She loved being the center of attention, and Akatsuki lavished her with her fill of it. He, at least, never failed to make her feel special or important.

Brown eyes fell back to her plate, which the servants were now trading out for a seasoned potato puree. She knew the red haired knight loved her. She had known for quite a while now, actually. He didn't really take any pains to hide his feelings, but there had never been even a whisper of reciprocating emotion in her own heart. He was a friend, nothing more, and perhaps he hadn't realized yet that she was already aware of his unrequited love. She wasn't irritated by his adoration, however. Quite the opposite. Ruka couldn't help but enjoy knowing that she was desired by someone. She certainly deserved to be desired, after all.

"It's not good to play with your food," Akatsuki's familiar baritone rumbled, breaking through the jumble of her thoughts.

She smiled, realizing all of her preoccupations were manifesting themselves in her potatoes, which she was idly stirring just as her thoughts stirred around in her head. Slyly, she replied, "Interesting. What exactly is a hunt, then?"

The redhead grinned. "Touché, My Lady."

She took a bite of her food then. It was delicious, of course. She would expect nothing less from the number of dishes she knew would be paraded across the table throughout the night. A few bards , armed with harpsichord, violin, cello, and flute, were beginning to play a new series of songs more suited for dancing, and several pairs of nobles floated by now, dancing around the marble fountain centerpiece. A wave of new jealousy started to take over, but she quashed it now. She would have her turn soon enough. Not with Kaname, as she had hoped, or even with Takuma, as she would have tolerated. A sickening feeling churned in her gut suddenly. Just not Rido. Anyone but Rido. Her fingers clenched spasmodically at her napkin, and she turned suddenly to the knight beside her, asking, "Would you like to dance?" She needed a distraction, badly.

The redhead blinked, clearly surprised at her request. A moment later, he softened, acquiescing easily as she'd known he would. "It would be my honor."

He stood, helping her to stand and then offering her his arm, which she took immediately. Against his sleeve, her hand looked very small. Despite her height, Akatsuki always made her feel that way: small, and delicate. He would have been terrifying on the battlefield donned in heavy armor, given his impressive height that had even Zero Kiryuu bested, albeit by only an inch or two. He was a giant amongst the noble flowers that thronged the capital, broad-shouldered and muscular and quite intimidating to those who didn't know him. He might have seemed scary to anyone else, but Ruka knew better. Akatsuki was perhaps the most gentle of all of the knights here, despite his size. As he moved to take her hand in his and place the other on her waist, she felt the evidence of that gentleness once again. Some of the other noble lords held her far too tightly while they danced; Akatsuki did no such thing. Perhaps he wasn't the most politically savvy or shrewd, but on the dance floor he was a gentleman through and through, and he presented a nearly regal figure donned in a sharp, pristine outfit of white and gold.

"You look very handsome tonight," she told him. It was true. Akatsuki Kain might not have been her ideal, but he was undeniably handsome. Ruka was just very particular when it came to men, and his strong jaw, straight nose, and sheer size made him far too masculine for her. His eyes, however, she did find attractive, as she thought they were his best feature. They were a very warm, expressive, and clear brown, tinged with a hint of gold. His mouth, too, was very full despite the rest of his overly masculine features, although as a complete picture she could say rather decisively that he was not her type.

Again, he seemed surprised by her comment. Well, she was full of surprises tonight, it seemed, she thought bemusedly. He smiled immediately though, obviously flattered, and replied, "Nothing in comparison to you, I fear."

Ruka's lips nudged upwards, basking in his praise. She glanced down at her attire, a navy blue gown trimmed in silver and pearls. He wasn't exaggerating. She _did_ look particularly gorgeous tonight, especially with her hair swept atop her head in the shape of a rose and accented by more pearls. She had taken great pains with her appearance, not wanting to be bested by Shizuka.

"Are you enjoying the celebration?" he inquired then.

"Yes..." She stole another envious glance at the bride and groom, but held in a sigh. One day, her own wedding would make this one pale in comparison.

"You could ask Lord Kaname to dance with you, too, you know," he suggested, misreading her expression.

She raised a honey eyebrow archly. "Me? Stoop so low as to ask a dance from that man? He would be lucky to deserve so much as a minute of my company."

Ruka sniffed, pointedly refusing to look the king's way. Her frustrations were slowly but surely solidifying into resentment. Kaname could have had the most beautiful woman in the Nine Kingdoms by his side, but instead he chose power. Power was slippery, transient. Ruka hoped it slipped right out of his fingers. Maybe if he lost everything he wouldn't feel so entitled.

The Souen lady saw she had taken Akatsuki off guard once again with her reply and laughed a little, amused. The song came to a close then, so the pair paused, waiting for the next to begin. The servants were clearing off the tables of the potatoes and replacing them with thin filets of pork drizzled in some type of sauce.

Bored, Ruka turned her attention to the knight's clothes once again. She rather fancied the colors, and made a mental note to have something made in them at a later date. Her eyes traced the lines of the tunic and she thought maybe it would be best suited to a gown with a particularly large, flaring skirt. She could wear gold slippers to match and a smattering of golden jewelry. Or maybe diamonds.

Catching Akatsuki giving her a strange look, she explained, "I fancy your garb today."

Amusement played across his features now. "You like the colors?"

"Yes," she admitted, confirming his guess. "Though I suppose you didn't dress yourself, did you..?" she asked a tad conceitedly as the next dance began. She laughed at his sheepish expression. "I suspected as much! Well, take notes from your servants."

He twirled her in time with the music before saying, "That sort of thing...you know it doesn't interest me."

She frowned at him then. How could it not interest him? He was a noble lord, a knight, and he lived in Ashgate for the time being, where the royal court resided. He attended court, even! And yet he paid no heed to his appearance. Not that he ever looked embarrassingly bad, but he certainly had room for improvement. Tonight was a start, without the unsightly sword belted at his waist.

"Tell them to choose your outfits more regularly then," she muttered.

"I'll consider it," he answered calmly, giving her another twirl.

"None of the noble women are going to take notice of you if you don't," she advised. She hoped he would see through her words that despite the increasing shortage of marriageable noble men, she was not going to choose him.

Akatsuki grew quiet for a moment. She thought maybe they had reached an understanding, but then he at last murmured, "I'm afraid their affections would be lost on me..."

The dance, for all of its bubbling energy, was a short one, and as the final notes played she indicated she wanted to return to the table. He proffered his arm immediately and began to escort her back to her seat.

On the way back to the table, Ruka wracked her brain for some other way to break through to him. She didn't want to be blunt and tell him she didn't love him and in fact never would, because that might strain their friendship, and she did enjoy having him as a friend. Besides, a noble lady should always show tact when it came to matters of the heart. It would be best if Akatsuki came to the realization on his own and accepted a match with someone else.

Unable to think of anything, she only told him, "Thank you for the dances. I always appreciate having a partner who doesn't step on my feet."

"You're quite welcome," came the answer she had expected.

Flustered with herself, she returned to her seat, the knight settling down beside her. As she did so, the filet was whisked away, replaced now by a rice dish. She sighed, taking a bite absently. Her options for a husband were dwindling rapidly, and as the clock ticked she drew nearer and nearer to marrying Rido Kuran. She had to find someone else before then. But... Her lip caught between her teeth. How was she going to find someone else like Kaname? Or Takuma, even?

A panicked cry cracked through the perfumed air, interrupting her musings. Ruka jerked her head to the left, startled. Akatsuki stood, knocking over his chair, ready for action although he did not have his sword. A few feet away at the matrimonial table, there was a flurry of activity. The groom, Lord Ichiru, was writhing, face turning purple as he choked on air that was denied him. Servants were rushing towards him, attempting to dislodge whatever might be stuck in his throat. A doctor raced past with a medical kit. The Lady Shizuka was shouting, though in the buzz of activity her words had become wind. Kaname was at her side, expression worried, and perhaps it was only Ruka...but he did not seem particularly surprised or upset by this turn of events. Seiren was observing coolly at her customary distance, doing nothing. Though, what could she have done? The servants and doctors were the only ones who might help Ichiru.

For several long, agonizing moments, Ruka could not see what was happening. Gradually, however, the crowd began to draw back, and she saw the doctor shake his head. Ichiru's body was lying on the ground, unmoving. She could only see a sliver of his face from her angle, asphyxiated purple. She felt her hand move to her mouth, horrified.

Shizuka, only moments before so proud and radiant and stunning, slumped to the ground beside her groom. Her face was hidden through her long, pure white hair, and Ruka could only imagine the emotions that gripped the woman now.

The noble woman was on her feet in the next instant, and Ruka thought she could feel the temperature drop several degrees as Shizuka faced Kaname and proclaimed in venomous infuriation, "You killed him! You poisoned his wine!"

Kaname shook his head. "I did not kill him, My Lady, please calm yourself. I know this is a terrible-"

"You killed him!" Shizuka accused once again, eyes shrieking with fury. "I will curse your fate, Kaname Kuran. I will punish you!"

"Please, see the Lady Shizuka to her chambers," Kaname mandated to the servants and a pair of guards. "She is clearly beside herself right now, understandably so."

The bride, the paramount of femininity and nobility and grace, was escorted from her own wedding celebration by armed guards. And this time, Ruka couldn't dismiss the illusion of sinister shadows that darkened Kaname's face.

* * *

 **AN:** That took a turn for the worst...


	59. 59 Mari

**AN:** Haha...I wonder if anyone remembers Mari... -shot-. It's been a loooong time since she narrated-oops. But I love Mari, she hates the same characters I hate... Kaname and Kaito -heart-. (Sorry if you like Kaitoooo -runs away).

* * *

 **MARI**

"I hate politics," Mari grumbled with derision.

She'd been fighting an uphill battle at this meeting for the past twenty minutes, trying to convince the group that they should be more visible, should be pushing harder and advocating for change. An underground movement only had so much power...the city uniting behind them, however, that was entirely different. While protesting publicly could be dangerous, it wasn't like she was proposing a riot. Moreover, she didn't want to give the king any excuse. He'd hear their complaints, and if he still chose to do nothing, then he'd be responsible for the increasing civil unrest that would assuredly come after. A well organized protest was their best shot without resorting to violence, a path some other scattered groups around the city had already taken.

"Yet you're involved in a political campaign. Irony." Kaito sneered, and for a brief millisecond the blacksmith almost considered punching that smirk off his smug face.

There was something about this man that drove her crazy. It was like an itch beneath one's fingernails, impossible to scratch but infuriating. Mostly, it was his demeanor she couldn't stand. He always wore this expression as though he knew everything, as though he was better than everyone. Yet, no one really knew anything about him. In all the weeks that he'd attended the meetings, never once had he let slip the slightest information about himself. When Mari had cornered him once or twice, his answers had been vague enough to convince her he was purposely withholding information. In spite of all that, however, he was annoyingly popular and never ran out of ideas to help their cause. But he always opposed her when she presented an idea herself. Like now.

"I'm only pointing out that it's not the right moment to launch into full-blown protestations against the king," Kaito said. "What we need is to give Nagamichi Aidou more time to muster resources and wait until a ripe moment. Particularly one in which Kaname is weakened."

"Now is the time to strike!" Mari protested. "There are other groups like ours. They started those fires, where the soldiers-"

"I'm not sure it's a good idea to associate ourselves with what are effectively acts of vandalism and violence," Kaito argued serenely, and she was sure his usual sardonic smile was only an inch away from his lips.

"And the longer we let Kaname Kuran's reign of terror continue, the more damage he's free to do! I say we vote on the matter," she proposed.

Kaito sighed, but Jinmu nodded, agreeing. The scarred older man rapped his knuckles on the table, immediately calling everyone's attention as he announced, "We will vote. Those in favor of a public protest?" He waited as a substantial number of the group cluttered around the basement of the inn raised their hands. He counted them under his breath and then spoke again, "Those against?" To Mari's sudden upwelling of joy, it was obvious that the hands raising now were less in number. Nevertheless, Jinmu counted them anyway before proclaiming, "A protest it is."

A victorious smile overtook the blacksmith's face. She refrained from saying 'Ha!' in front of the assembled members of the rebellion, but her eyes communicated the sentiment when they met Kaito's across the table. She was tired of waiting, tired of Fuka's deadened, haunted eyes, tired of everything. Now was their chance, and she had every intention of taking it. If Kaito was too much of a coward to see that, well, she had run dry of her supply of sympathy.

"Do as you please," Kaito informed the group. "But I won't be a part of something I can't condone. I believe this is a mistake...one that has the potential to end in disaster."

"You're walking out on us now?" Jinmu murmured with a touch of anger. Whispers broke out through the room.

"I will support you... But I won't attend this protest. When you're ready to discuss logical ideas again, I'll be here."

"I see. So you're only invested in the rebellion when _you_ dictate it," Mari spat. "It's obvious where your loyalties lie. You'll only support us when it's convenient for you." Just as she'd suspected, Kaito was a low-life and a rat. He didn't deserve the rank he'd gained in the rebellion, or the trust of so many of its members.

"Hardly," Kaito denied. "But I refuse to assist in this stupidity."

"A true fair weather friend," Mari accused. "We voted. I can think of no better way to decide our course of action. If we have chosen stupidity, it is your duty to aid us."

Kaito shook his head, and she thought she caught a trace of morbid amusement. "If hostility is all you have for me right now, I'll see you at the next meeting." With a casual wave, the man ducked out of the room.

"How dare he..." Mari seethed.

"Don't judge him too harshly. It is true that this will be a risky move for us," Jinmu informed her, shrugging off Kaito's departure and expertly taking the meeting back in hand. "As for the rest of us, we need to decide our plan of action."

The group immediately jumped into a heated discussion, and the blacksmith took a moment to glance back at Fuka. The bruises had faded from her skin, even if they had not yet faded from her heart. The girl remained passive, though she gave Mari a slight, shaky smile. That, at least, was an improvement. A small one, but an improvement nonetheless. A sign that the girl would recover eventually from the abuse.

Hoping to give her friend a way to feel that she was contributing, Mari suggested, "Why don't you prepare a meal for after the protest? To celebrate or to console, depending on how it plays out. Either way, we'll be hungry. I'm sure everyone would chip in some food or drink, or coin to buy it."

To the dark-skinned woman's surprise and delight, Fuka nodded and whispered, "Okay."

Mari stepped back from her place at the table, draping an arm around the girl's shoulders and giving her a slight squeeze. "Kaname will have no choice but to see and hear us. He can't ignore these problems forever."

The pale blond girl said nothing, but leaned her head against her friend's shoulder, drawing comfort from their contact, and the blacksmith felt that spark of fiery rage heat her chest. She desperately wanted to avenge Fuka, to avenge the innocents of this city. And at last, they had their chance. Kaito be damned, they were going to take it.

* * *

 **AN:** Things are getting interesting. Interesting indeeeeeed. Sorry for the length of the chapter, sometimes the chapters end up being pretty short, but next week will be back to normal.

Also, everyone is wondering: Is Ichiru really dead? Did Kaname really kill him? I can only say- you'll have the answers to both those questions, eventually. :P


	60. 60 Hanabusa

**AN:** Yooo it's Aidori again! Let's see how things are going for them...

* * *

 **HANABUSA**

Trees flashed by, still frames of color that stained and blended one into the next into a indistinguishable wall of brown and green. Beneath his feet, Hanabusa heard the continuous crunch of the underbrush, knowing it was sounding off as loud as a trumpet but unable to muffle the noise. To move silently he would have had to slow down considerably, and that would have been his defeat. Although the footing was becoming rockier here, sloping gradually up into a high hill, there was still enough foliage that he could not tread without breaking a twig or rustling through leaves. Sharp needles pricked against his chest with every breath, an acute reminder that he was running out of energy, and the sweat that trickled down his brow equally reminded him that every droplet was one step further into dehydration. And always, always, the howls of the pursuing hounds pushed against his back.

In front of him, Yori veered off sharply to the right, ducking under a large, low-hanging tree branch that he nearly collided with as he followed. Every one of his limbs was leaden with exhaustion. He wanted to stop, to rest for just a moment, for even a few seconds, but there was no chance to do so. Rei Touma had set his hounds on them, and nothing short of a miracle would save them now. They could no longer rely on the treacherous, crocodylus-filled swamp to protect them. The woods were not completely lacking in advantages, but it was far easier for the hounds to pick up their scent.

The temperature dropped a few degrees, and Hanabusa thought he heard the sound of water not far away. Hope rekindled in his chest. If they kept to the water, the hounds would not be able to follow their scent. But then again, their route would also become obvious to Rei and his men. And despite the adrenaline that kept them moving, they had been pursued for two or three days now. He could feel his strength fading, draining from his body into the footprints he left behind. It was only a matter of time before they would be caught. Because they would most certainly be caught.

Through the trees, he spied a wide, meandering brook that picked its way through the trees. He was grateful that the water here, so close to the border of Sakaido, was clear, and equally grateful that the landscape had changed from swamp to forest. At least their path was more of an aide to them than a hindrance. If only they could make it across the border, there was a fair chance that Rei would have no choice but to stop his pursuit. But Hanabusa wasn't sure he would know when they had crossed that border, and it was very likely Rei wouldn't either.

Splashing into the brook, Yori turned and followed the water backwards, upstream the way they had come. Hanabusa knew she did it to confuse their trail, but nevertheless he resented the increase in distance between them and their goal. It seemed as though they would never leave the Basin. He was certain that Yuki and Zero, if all was well, had already reached Seagate. He hoped they would wait, but it was entirely possible that they would feel the necessity to press on, particularly if Rido refused to help Yuki´s cause.

The blond knight could no longer remember how long it had been since they had become separated from Yuki. Weeks, certainly. But how many, he couldn't say. Two? Three? Had an entire month passed before his eyes, lost in a violent blur of time marked by fleeing from one hiding place to the next? Very few of those nights had even been passed in a proper bed. The only mercy was that they still had most of their gear and a small pouch of coins that he hoped would see them across Sakaido to Seagate.

"Wait," Yori murmured, and he paused, nerves strung as tight as wires as the seconds flew by.

"There!" she said at last, pointing to a jutting rise of rock against the hill to their left, partially concealed by moss and trees.

Hanabusa followed her as she quickly crossed the brook and headed towards the rock. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was a narrow crevice in the rocks that they immediately began to squeeze into, which opened into a narrow cubby hole. The tunnel was small enough that they had to remove their packs or, in Yori's case, bow and arrows just to slide through. Once inside, there was just enough room for them to sit beside their equipment, out of sight and hopefully out of the range of the hounds. Dropping heavily to the ground, Hanabusa took a moment to catch his breath. Really, all he wanted was to sleep... But apprehension and the proximity of Rei kept the urge at bay.

"It would be better if we could conceal the opening with leaves...but there´s no time," Yori whispered, voice burdened with fatigue.

He shook his head in mute agreement, closing his eyes for moment of blessed rest that teased him cruelly until at last he forced his eyelids open once more. He listened quietly, hearing nothing for now but knowing at any second that the situation could change. He knew that if Rei and his men found them he and Yori would be an easy capture. Therefore he only hoped they could evade the Touma men.

The crunch of leaves alerted Hanabusa to someone approaching. Cautiously, he rose into a crouch, taking the knife Yori withdrew from her belt and passed to him. Footsteps thundered by, their volume relaying that the person walking did not mind if he or she was seen. Cautiously, the knight peered down the narrow tunnel of rock, and saw a short, heavyset man garbed in the Touma colors heading away from the outcropping of rock. Hanabusa's fingers tightened around the hilt of the blade, eyes sharply tracking each of the man's movements. When the man began to turn, the knight slid back into the cubbyhole just out of sight, half-standing, half-crouching, muscles taut as he waited.

After a few moments, Hanabusa heard the man approach and sensed his presence at the entrance of the rocky tunnel. There was a muffled grunt, and the muted light that illuminated the rocky passage shifted. Their pursuer was trying to investigate the cubby-hole, but judging by his strained breathing and increasing grunts, he had gotten himself stuck. For once, it seemed, luck was running in the knight's favor.

"Damn it," the man cursed, sighing heavily.

Hanabusa gestured for Yori to close her eyes. What he was about to do...he didn't want her to see. The girl was puzzled, but obeyed, keeping very still so as not to draw the man's attention. The knight then very carefully peered out into the passage, where the man clad in black and brown was facing away, attempting to free himself by inching back out. The Aidou lord paused, taking a moment to brace himself mentally.

Then, with a flash of movement like the strike of a snake, the knight grabbed the man, clapping a hand across the other's mouth as he jerked the pursuer's head upwards. At the same time, the blade of the knife slit across the man's throat, the edge opening up the flesh as smoothly as if it was cutting through butter. The man attempted to shout, to free himself, to fight off his assailant, but Hanabusa held him securely in place as he ran the knife though his neck once more, just to be sure he was dead. Hot, thick blood gushed down the man's tunic, spurting against the walls of the passage and onto Hanabusa's hands, though the knight tried his best to hold the man still. The body continued to twitch and shudder even after the man was most assuredly dead, until at last it went still, crumpling against the rock which held it upright like a dried husk.

Hanabusa took a slow, shaking breath. His fingers were trembling and he felt the knife tumble from his grip, falling against the ground with a muffled thunk. Despite all that he had seen or trained for, killing a man in cold blood like this... He was a knight, not an assassin. But Rei had left him no choice, and to protect himself, to protect Yori, there was nothing else he could do. Quickly, he retrieved the knife, cutting off a strip of fabric from the man's tunic which he used to cover the gash. Although it would be painfully obvious what he had done, for some reason he didn't want Yori to see that gaping wound.

Tying the cloth securely in place, Hanabusa returned to the cubby-hole. He could dispose of the body soon, since dusk was already falling. Once it became dark, he could send it downstream, where hopefully it would wash up quite some distance away to confuse their trail further. At the very least, it would keep any wild animals away from them... Or so he hoped.

"Okay," he told Yori in an undertone, and she opened her eyes slowly.

For a moment, she said nothing, staring with a wide gaze at his blood-stained hands. Then, she gave him a grave, mirthless smile, saying, "One down..."

His lips jerked up into the semblance of a smile, but it was more of a grimace. He passed her back the knife, trying to still the trembling in his fingertips. As the auburn-haired girl took back the blade, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He inhaled slowly, carefully, extracting his hand from her grasp almost immediately. But even that brief contact had faintly stained her own fingers with blood. She didn't make a move to wipe it off, but Hanabusa found himself furtively pressing his hands against the legs of his pants, against the ground, in hopes of cleaning off some of the dark stain.

Time passed sluggishly, feverishly. He spoke with Yori in undertones to stave off the exhaustion that threatened him at every opportunity. When he abruptly restarted the conversation from time to time, it was jolting, stilted, and random. Neither of them discussed the dead man still crammed into the entrance of the cave. Neither did they discuss their impending capture by Rei Touma, or their fatigue, or hunger... No, instead they used the conversation as a means of distraction and of staying awake.

At last dusk fell, a gossamer twilight that painted the forest in shades of indigo. Gradually, crickets and other insects began to fill the silence, a symphony that would alert them if Rei or any of his men drew near simply by falling silent. Now, Hanabusa stood and moved back out into the passage, where he began to push the corpse out. The man was heavy and, lodged as he was in the rock, difficult to move. By the time the body had fallen out of the tunnel, the knight was panting heavily, sweating enough that the insects began to throng around him joyously.

Leaving their packs, Yori joined him to help lift the body and lug it into the brook, where they drug it through the water a ways before pushing it off to slowly drift downstream. Fortunately, the moon hung low and full in the night sky, illuminating their path enough to easily find their way back to their hiding place. Afterwards, Hanabusa did his best to scrub the dried blood from his hands while Yori carted water from the brook in their canteens to wash out the passage. If the tunnel smelled too strongly of blood, it would attract not only predators but Rei's hounds as well.

At last, feeling fairly confident that they were safe for the night, the pair squeezed back into their cubby-hole where they rationed out a meager supper of bread and dried, tough strips of meat that they had bought in town a few days before. Already, their supplies were running dangerously low, but at least they wouldn't starve just yet. If Rei hadn't been chasing them so relentlessly, they might have been able to hunt in the forest, but until the child gave up the search, there was no such chance for them to do so.

"I hope he gets bored soon..." Hanabusa muttered, shifting around to find the least uncomfortable position to sit in.

"Fat chance," Yori sighed.

"I guess you should be flattered. He likes you this much, after all."

The auburn-haired girl shot him a look, rolling her eyes.

He grew serious, "We have to be close to the border..."

"I hope so..." she whispered, her voice thin and tired and betraying the same exhaustion that he felt.

They fell quiet, the insects continuing to sing blithely around them. The night was cool without being cold, and the rock protected them from the breeze that passed through the trees around them. It was the first night that they might be able to sleep for more than a few hours, and the first night that Hanabusa felt some degree of security or comfort. The other nights had been spent relatively out in the open, startled awake by every rustle of the forest around them.

After a few moments, Yori leaned against him, laying her head against his shoulder as her eyelids drooped sleepily. In such cramped quarters, there wasn't enough room for them to lie down, or even to really stretch their legs, and it seemed inevitable that they would wake sore and discomforted. But it hardly mattered. Hearing her breathing deepen into sleep, Hanabusa felt his own fatigue bludgeon across his thoughts. Leaning his head back against the stone behind him, his last conscious thought was a tattered hope that when the sun rose, Rei's interest in them would have dissipated.

* * *

 **AN:** It's a minor improvement, right? -shot-


	61. 61 Yuki

**AN:** Darn, I forgot I made Yuki the protagonist of this story. Guess we have to come back to her after all. Also bad news, she still hasn't been eaten by a dinosaur. A hungry crocodylus could do the trick, what do you think? ;) -horrible-

* * *

 **YUKI**

Four figures stood at the edge of the appropriated Touma manor grounds, where the fog began to creep in, sheltering the house from the outside world. The time for Yuki and Zero to leave the manor was at hand and the princess was anxious to begin the journey to Seagate. By now, Yori and Hanabusa were likely already there, as Yuki and the silver knight were an entire two weeks behind them. Nevertheless, the weeks at the manor had been well-spent, as Yuki was now more comfortable with the short sword Rima and Senri had given her, and Zero had, of course, at last agreed to fight for the crown.

"Once you leave us, you will not be able to return without our permission," Rima told them. "And we will not be here to grant it."

"Where are you going?" Yuki couldn't help but inquire curiously.

"Away...," Rima answered mysteriously.

Yuki let the subject drop. Questioning the druid or the seer had gotten her nowhere before, and that wasn't likely to change just because she and Zero were leaving. Beside her, Zero's eyes were clouded with preoccupations. Yuki suspected he was considering his new role as heir apparent and all of the duties that came along with it. He had accepted her, agreed to be at her side, but it was not like Zero to cast aside his worries. Now that they were leaving the manor and the weight of his decision was sinking in, the knight was troubled.

Rima seemed to notice this, too, for she said, "You are still unsure of your decision."

The muscles in the knight's face flinched, though he didn't speak.

"Are you still thinking about your years as a slave? I told you, it matters not what someone is born, or what someone goes through, but what they grow to be. And it is our choices that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Even in dreams, Zero Kiryuu, you could not fall forever. You're not sure what to do now that you're stopped falling, but the road for you is upwards, not down."

The knight did not answer, and Rima did not elaborate further, but Yuki found herself nodding in agreement. Zero always thought less of himself, always doubted his worth, even though, to Yuki, his worth was so great that she herself could not begin to comprehend its enormity. She only wished that Zero could see just how important he was. He was no longer a slave, and he had never been a servant or _only_ a knight to her, although she could not make him understand this by the power of her will alone.

Zero was, sometimes, unbelievably frustrating.

"Thank you for everything," Yuki said to fill the silence.

"You're welcome," the seer said sincerely.

"Well then, goodbye," Rima told them. Her hand rose and immediately the thick fog began to settle about them, shielding the druid and seer from view.

"Goodbye," Yuki replied as the mages vanished in the mist. Turning to Zero, the princess asked, "Do you know the way to go?"

The knight nodded, indicating the path ahead of them, and immediately Yuki fell in behind him. Zero was always so reliable; even when they were together with Hanabusa she always turned to Zero first. She hoped that the Aidou lord was at least half as reliable as Zero, now that his sword was the only one protecting Yori. Of course, she mused, Yori didn't really need protecting. But just in case...

Doused in heavy ruminations, Yuki chewed on her lower lip, pondering their current predicament. If Hanabusa and Yori hadn't waited for them at Seagate, where were they likely to be? The Indigo Mountains seemed like the next best place, but there was also the Dawn Plains, or even Lazuli Lakes. And truthfully, Rido's support alone wasn't enough to win back the throne. They would need the support of Hanabusa's family and likely Akatsuki Kain's as well. Perhaps they would require even more aide... Kaname was certain to assemble his own supporters if he felt that his position as king was threatened. And as Yuki had seen, Kaname would stop at nothing to maintain the throne. Murder and massacre were not beneath her cousin...

More worrisome at the moment, however, was Zero himself. If he did not fully accept his position, it would be next to impossible to convince anyone of his right to claim the throne. She had to find a way for him to gain some confidence, at least enough that, when the time came, he could assert himself properly. And...also... She blushed. He needed more confidence when it came to their relationship, too. After all, eventually...wouldn't they be married? Although, she still was no closer to knowing Zero's feelings than she had been before, when she'd ventured to press the topic back in the Virid Wood. But she was starting to wonder, to suspect, that perhaps…just maybe, he did return her feelings, and all of his past traumas and self doubts were muddying his thoughts, preventing him from moving forward.

"You're too quiet," the silver knight's voice interrupted her thoughts. Zero slowed, crossing his arms as he turned to regard her.

"I'm just thinking, I guess." She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. Zero always seemed to know when she was worrying. "About you and Yori and Kaname...and everything that's happened... And what's going to happen..." She frowned, crestfallen.

"Don't make that face."

"Then don't make that one," she teased, noting the preoccupation lining his brow and pinching his cheeks.

"You don't like me to worry?" he asked, eyebrows flicking upward.

"That's not it...," she denied. Of course Zero would worry about her. He always did. "I just think it's not worth it," she said at last. "I don't want you to waste time worrying about me when I'm really alright."

She peeked up at his face again to see him glowering. She had accidentally made him more worried than before. But he said nothing, violet eyes searching hers wordlessly. "Zero?" she asked.

"Will you always make this face when you're worried?" He stopped walking to reach out, and with his thumb he nudged up the corner of her mouth. "Smile."

Against her will, his action made her lips convulse upwards. She liked this side of him. This gentle, affectionate side that reached in and seemed to directly touch her heart. This side that led her to believe there was a possibility he cared for her as much as she did for him. Although, she supposed...she liked every side of him. That's why she wanted him to use this opportunity, to use the chance his blood and his heritage gave him so that they could become closer. She was weary of the space between them, even more so now that he had agreed to fight for the crown. And even if she hadn't used the exact words, shouldn't Zero already know that she loved him?

The thought resounded through her head as they started moving again, ' _Don't disappear from my side. Your heart is always hurting, Zero. But I think you should smile, too.'_

"Zero...," she trailed off, unable to continue the sentence. How could she begin to convey everything that was in her heart? How could she begin to express her feelings towards him?

"Hm?" he asked, glancing back at her.

Her tongue felt like lead, tripped over itself as she managed to voice the question, "Will we never be together?" When he halted again, eyes widening, she quickly attempted to rectify the bluntness of her words. "I mean...if you're going to be the king! And if I'm the queen... What I mean to say is..." Her shoulders slumped. She was making a mess. Her heart was beating wildly at the mere thought of confessing everything.

She shook her head. How was she going to lead the Nine Kingdoms with Zero if she didn't show any initiative, either? Inhaling sharply, she dared to propose, "Let's try this much, at least?" She extended her hands towards him, desiring for him to take it as he had before in the swamp when the fog had threatened to separate them.

In the same moment, however, Zero was offering her his own hand, mumbling, "Do you want to try by connecting like this, then?"

Yuki giggled suddenly. "We had the same idea..." She laughed, abruptly cheered.

Tentatively, she intertwined her fingers with his, relishing the sensation of his rough, calloused skin as it met her smooth palm. Zero was tense, eyes examining what looked to be a rock at the side of the road, and when those violet orbs flicked back to meet hers, she was inundated with their uncertainty and reservations. But his hand was warm against hers, his grip gentle. When she squeezed her fingers against his reassuringly, his thumb caressed her palm affectionately. Perhaps even tenderly. She wasn't sure.

Abruptly, she was in the stable back in Lazuli Lakes again, watching him run his fingers through Lily's mane, watching him stroke the mare's nose and brush out her fur with a tender expression he'd never shown Yuki, and her heart swelled up unexpectedly in her chest. Zero was going to be at her side, but if he did not love her, she suddenly wondered if it would be enough. Yuki did not think that she could endure a one-sided relationship like that, no matter how dearly her knight treasured her as a friend. Yet, she didn't know how to begin a confession, nor how she might be able to ascertain his feelings.

To her surprise, Zero murmured into the silence, "I can't hold onto something like this." His eyes were dark, shadowed, and the crooked smile that twisted his lips was bittersweet and pained. "Your kind hands that have saved me countless times from my past, and myself..." His gaze lowered to their clasped hands. "Because you were there for me after the king took me in, I'm able to smile now. ...And I become happy just from seeing you smile... I'm fine like that. I don't... I can't ask for anything more."

An exasperated smile sighed across her lips. She was tired of arguing with him, of having to push at him every time he resisted her. She had known that it would be no easy task to get him to accept the crown, but somehow she had thought that, once he had, that would have been the end of it. She had been silly. In retrospect, it was obvious. Of course it wouldn't be so simple as having him agree. He had to accept his decision fully, and little by little she thought he was coming around, coming to terms with the magnitude of his acceptance and what it would entail.

But naturally, this was Zero. Expecting him to be any other way was naive. He always fought back whenever she came too close; it was a natural defense as deeply ingrained in him as eating or sleeping. He had always been that way, since the very beginning. And yet, when she broke through those granite walls, he grew docile, gentle, and pieces of the opaque mask he hid behind fell away. She recalled quite clearly how her arms alone had mollified him years ago, when he pushed himself too far…

 _The night was tranquil, serene, past supper but not yet time for bed. And yet, Yuki felt a disturbance, like a stone sinking in a pond, rippling silently outwards. Somehow she knew it was Zero, the boy her adopted father had rescued from the slave pits. She knew he was hurting, knew he was in pain, and yet he sought only to drive her away. Despite that, she found herself heading towards the training yard, where she always, inevitably encountered him attempting to beat away his nightmares._

 _It had only been a matter of weeks since Kaien had brought the young man back to the castle. He had announced that Zero would train as one of her knights. But Zero did not seem very knightly. He seemed more like a very lonely person, not unlike herself, in desperate need of a friend. She would more than happily have been just such a friend...but it seemed as though Zero didn't want her to be one. Still, she had to try. And anyway, she felt that, if she didn't reach out to him, the boy in front of her might break apart._

 _When she reached the yard, she saw that Zero was indeed there, relentlessly attacking one of the training dummies. Peering through the night, she saw that he was sweating and exhausted, his knuckles bruised and bloodied from where he'd undoubtedly been beating the mannequin with his fists. Without thinking, Yuki dashed across the yard, rushing to the boy's side as she cried, "What are you doing?!"_

 _Seething eyes burned into hers like hot coals. His left hand rose to touch his chest where the slave brand lay against his skin beneath his clothes. "It feels disgusting...," he whispered, and then renewed his assault. The dummy recoiled violently, but Zero did not stop. This close, Yuki could see the dark, angry purple circles beneath his eyes, where he hadn't been sleeping for days or maybe even weeks._

 _"It's painful, stop it," she murmured, horrified. When he didn't, her voice rose in desperation, "Stop it! Stop, Zero!" Her arms wrapped around him, restraining his movements, forcing him to stop inflicting more damage on the mannequin, to stop wearing himself out like this._

 _"Go away, don't touch me" he snarled, the gaze he leveled at her from over his shoulder as hooded and defensive as a feral animal._

 _Yuki trembled beneath that gaze, but didn't yield. Her hands tightened their grip as she swallowed, shaking her head mutely, even as he attempted to pry them away from him._

 _"Stop shaking, it's miserable...," he hissed, though he ceased trying to free himself from her grasp._

 _But slowly, ever so slowly, the ferocious glimmer faded from his eyes, and he obeyed her wishes to return to the barracks and sleep. Slowly, ever so slowly after that night, he had begun to soften, to change... And from that night, she had been drawn in by that agonizing sight. Gradually, gradually, she had become more and more drawn in..._

For a moment, she almost said the words. They were already perched on her tongue, waiting to be spoken. She nearly confessed then, in exact, precise syllables, the extent of her feelings. Three words. It would only have taken three words to convey them, to express everything. Yet she did not. She hesitated, emotions reverberating through her bones. She wanted to tell him, but she wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.

So instead, overpowered by the desire to further close the distance between them, she reached up, her free hand caressing the tattoo inked into the side of his neck with her fingertips before she wrapped her hand around the curve of the back of his neck, fingers twining in the soft hair there as she tugged him downward to her height. His usually composed expression faltered for a moment of confusion, though he acquiesced to her silent request without question. So that he did not have to stoop over too far, she raised herself up on her toes, releasing his hand at last so that the fingers of her left hand could touch his cheek as she softly pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth, eyes closing automatically as she lingered for a long interval that felt like a small eternity.

It wasn't quite a kiss. It wasn't quite the confession that she had nearly voiced a moment before. And yet, she could feel a thousand reactions swarming beneath Zero's skin. She felt him tense, flinch, tense again, hold himself still, shiver. She felt his hand convulse around her elbow where it had risen to rest there uncertainly. She heard, too, his barely audible intake of breath as her lips had nearly made contact with his. She released him then, eyes opening to search his face. He remained as he was, frozen for a heartbeat, and then he straightened, both surprised and taken aback. There was an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes, one that she could not decipher. Most importantly, he had not pushed her away. Not at all...

She flushed, and then, to break the tension, gestured to his sword, saying, "It needs a name, you know."

The knight blinked, eyebrows furrowing together, then shrugged mechanically. "You can name it, if you want," he offered at last, voice rough.

"No, you should," she insisted. "It's your inheritance. A Kiryuu legacy."

Zero gave a cursory glance at the blade and its elaborate sheath. Then, "Bloody Rose."

Yuki rolled her eyes, smacking the knight's arm. "That's your emblem anyway, Zero!"

The knight's lips twitched.

She laughed. "I guess that will do."

"You can rename it anytime," he offered.

"Maybe," she agreed. "Since you insist on such an uncreative name..." She extended her hand towards him again. "We should keep going."

Another intermittent pause. Another maelstrom of emotions she couldn't name swirling through his eyes. But then his fingers were sliding back through hers, an embrace of hands that radiated warmth through her whole body. As they continued down the path, they did so side by side, palms cradled against one another. Yuki hoped one day she would be able to hold more than just his hand. Selfishly, she wanted to hold his entire heart.

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 **AN:** You were right, the sword is the medieval embodiment of Bloody Rose! And next week, we return to the capital, where quite a bit is happening... -mysterious wink- Any predictions for next week? And hopefully this chapter was a satisfactory improvement for our oblivious lovebirds LOL. Though I'm still leaning towards shipping Yuki off to Jurassic Park... -cough cough-


	62. 62 Ruka

**RUKA**

Ruka folded her arms, feeling particularly cross. Against all of her instincts to remain poised and lovely, her brows had clashed in the center of her forehead, eyes ablaze with silent fury. One long, slender finger tapped against her arm in measured, angry beats. The noble lady could not remember when she had last been this incensed. For the first time, Ruka wished to have one of the those long, pointy sticks called swords the men used to pointlessly beat on each other so that she could vent her frustrations out on a training dummy.

Nagamichi Aidou had summoned her this morning for tea. Ha. Tea! Her nostrils flared at the memory. It was outrageous. An amiable conversation had without warning become one of the worst days of her life. She could hardly believe what had transpired. To think that not only Nagamichi, but _Akatsuki_ , possibly her closest friend, would do this to her! Well, never mind. Former closest friend, but still! She had never felt so betrayed.

Lord Aidou's announcement plagued her, thrumming incessantly against her eardrums until a migraine had lashed out, throbbing at her temples. _"My Lady Ruka, I am pleased to announce that as of this morning an engagement has been officially accepted for you by your parents. The wedding date has already been formalized."_ For one terrible, dizzying moment she had thought it was to Rido. She had almost fainted from horror on the spot. Her parents had been negotiating _that_ match for weeks now, although nothing had been officially declared yet. But no... No! The engagement was to none other than Akatsuki Kain, the one man she would have entrusted with her life. Until now.

She ground her teeth together. How _dare_ they! Akatsuki, most of all! He hadn't even asked her! Hadn't even mentioned it! How could he be so inconsiderate? She thought he cared for her, and then suddenly, behind her back, he was forcing her into an engagement. Worse, her parents had instantly approved and already set a wedding date a meager thirteen months away. If the summer lasted too long, it could be winter then! Ruka Souen would not have a winter wedding. Inconceivable. She would be surrounded by flowers and sunshine, not snow and grey, dreary, ugly clouds. A vein was pulsating against her jaw at the mere possibility of it.

This day was an actual nightmare. She threw a scalding glare towards the throne, where Kaname reclined languidly. He was the worst of them all. Kaname Kuran, king of the Nine Kingdoms. What a joke. He was the embarrassment of the Nine Kingdoms. He didn't deserve the throne or anything else after refusing her. She narrowed her eyes at him from across the room. What man in his right mind would pass up a great beauty like Ruka Souen? Inconceivable. How could the vilest traitor in existence, Akatsuki Kain, see how stunning and charming she was, but Kaname could not? It was all too apparent that the Kuran lord had been dropped on his head as a child.

Ruka smoothed her bodice primly where her arms had begun to rumple it. She had never been so affronted or so irate in her life. It irritated her even further to think that Akatsuki would be getting everything he wanted while she would get absolutely nothing of what she wanted. He could marry the woman he was in love with, who just so happened to be her, while she, Ruka Souen, was forced to spend the rest of her life in a marriage she did not want. It was completely unfair. She had been born with beauty, grace, and a noble lineage. By all rights, there shouldn't be any impediment between her and her dream of marrying a refined, lovely, chivalrous noble lord. The only joy she could find in the entire situation was that Lady Shizuka wouldn't be getting what she wanted, either.

The rhythmic sound of shoes against the stone floor announced someone's entrance. Ruka glanced up to see none other than Nagamichi Aidou turn the corner of the hall and step into the room. Immediately, she felt her face heat, fingers grabbing her skirt to prevent herself from clenching her hands into fists. He was to blame as well, him and Akatsuki and Kaname and even Takuma simply for going off and dying when she had needed him so very badly to remain alive. How difficult was it for one man to stay alive, anyway? Even Ichiru had gone and died the moment she had taken notice of him. Her eyebrow twitched now, betraying the seething anger that boiled up inside her.

As Nagamichi stepped towards the throne, flanked by four rather than the customary two guards he had with him, one of the castle guards ran into the room, crying, "My Lord, hundreds of people have gathered at the gates! They're chanting the Aidou house name, waving their banners, and demanding justice for the deaths of King Kaien, Princess Yuki Kuran, and Lord Hanabusa Aidou."

Kaname sat up straight in his seat. A hush had fallen over the room. Rage temporarily forgotten, Ruka waited with baited breath for what would happen next. The king would most certainly react to this news. It had been clear for a while now that there was unrest in the city. Nevertheless, the announcement came unexpectedly. The nobles that were gathered had grown still, glancing from the guard to the king and even to Nagamichi, all of them waiting. And for a moment, silence reigned.

Nagamichi broke the quiet with a hard, outward gesture of his arm, declaring, "Step down, Kaname. Your time here is done. The people have spoken. They know of your crimes and will not tolerate the tyranny that you have installed here."

A mirthful smirk claimed Kaname's lips. "Is that so?" he mused, chuckling softly. He stood suddenly, and Nagamichi's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. "Draw that and I can't guarantee your safety, My Lord," Kaname commented. "...So, this is what you have been up to... I didn't imagine that your little birds were spreading rebellion through my city. You have blundered. You did not bring the troops necessary to back this revolt. Nor do you have any other High Lords on your side. Of course, you knew that I would never have granted you admittance to Ashgate had you amassed such a large military force or had I known you were planning to declare war..."

"There needn't be war if you renounce your claim to the crown and return home." Lord Aidou's eyes had become steel, as hard and uncompromising as his blade.

"You're right. There needn't be war. You're a man of action, aren't you? When it occurs to you to do something, you do it, never mind the consequences. Take a look. Remember the consequences. Here they are." The king turned his gaze to the guard now, who immediately snapped to attention. "Go inform your captain that these warmongering peasants must be dealt with before they become dangerous. Use the newest formation you've been practicing. Kill them all. I don't want even one of them to escape to spread this rebellion further. And once they're dead, report back for instructions on how to dispose of the bodies."

The hiss of steel reverberated through the chamber. Kaname's dark eyes flicked back to Lord Aidou, who had drawn his sword along with the rest of his guard. "You would murder your own citizens?" Nagamichi challenged, aghast. "This is madness! Have you lost your mind?"

The king smiled. "It is a terrible thing I have ordered, a vile thing. Yet we who presume to rule must do vile things for the sake of our people and for the sake of peace." A pause. When Lord Kuran spoke again, his voice resonated like the toll of a funeral bell through the chamber. "Lord Nagamichi Aidou, I find you guilty of high treason. You have bared your blade before your lord and king. The punishment for your crimes is death by beheading. Should you, however, lay down your sword, I will perhaps reconsider such a harsh sentence."

"You insolent pup!" Nagamichi growled.

Kaname made a vague gesture with his hand and immediately the guards who had been idle moments before, standing sentry at intervals throughout the chamber so inconspicuously that Ruka had not even registered their presence, sprung to action, engaging the four knights who surrounded Nagamichi. The honey-haired noble gasped, retreating back against the wall as though this might protect her from a blade. In the center of the chamber was a tangled rush of steel and shouts and silver hair as Seiren fluidly joined the fray, her movements lost in the whirl of noise and colors. As she swept through, she left in her wake the bodies of Nagamichi's guard. Before long, Lord Aidou was standing alone, unprotected except for his own blade, ringed by Kaname's guards.

"Lay down your weapon," Kaname commanded, taking a sword from one of his guards and pointing it at the older man's throat. "And kneel before your king."

With grit teeth, Nagamichi complied, though his defiant expression proved that his spirit had not been broken. The blade clattered from his hand, echoing noisily through the throne room. The guards stepped back half a pace, granting the noble lord a little room to breathe.

"You make me cruel," Kaname murmured, and with a silver flash of light the sword cleanly removed Lord Aidou's head in a misty spray of dark blood. More blood spurted and fountained from the stump of the lord's head, pooling on the floor and staining the crimson carpet that led to the throne an even deeper shade of red. There were scattered shrieks throughout the throne room. Ruka gasped in horror, hands pressed tightly against her mouth to keep from screaming, limbs shaking so hard she could hear her teeth chatter.

Through a numb, increasingly dizzying fog, Ruka heard Kaname demand, "Why are you still here? Do you want there to be civil war? Dispose of this revolt, _now!_ "

"Y-yes, Your Highness!" a high-pitched voice responded.

Something fleshy with a gaping mouth, unseeing eyes, and blond hair had rolled across the floor in her direction. Ruka felt the floor swallow her up as her legs went weak and she collapsed against the wall. A moment later, her senses had been consumed by black static.

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 **AN:** Review? XD


	63. 63 Akatsuki

**AKATSUKI**

Akatsuki shifted from where he was leaning against the ramparts that overlooked the front gates of the castle. For at least an hour now, the citizens of the city had been gathering below, carrying the Aidou banner and chanting the Aidou name again and again. Mixed in with the chants, the redhead could hear them calling for justice for all of the crimes Kaname's soldiers had done against them as well as for the deaths of the former king, princess, and Hanabusa. Akatsuki knew that only he and his uncle were privy to the information that Yuki and Hanabusa lived, though he wondered if Kaname was aware of it, as well. As for Kaien, his death had already been verified as a heart attack. The timing was coincidental, surely, but to accuse Lord Kuran of killing the man seemed like a stretch. Regardless, Akatsuki was determined to watch how these events played out. He had a feeling that something decisive would happen today with all of the unrest.

Of course, something decisive had already happened today in the knight's private life... Caught between shock and anticipation, displeasure and the beginnings of happiness, Akatsuki felt very much adrift this morning. His uncle had entirely dismissed the knight's protests and, without the knowledge or permission of either himself or Ruka, already finalized an engagement between the two of them. The Kain noble was both frustrated with his uncle's total lack of understanding and oddly grateful to the man for taking action when Akatsuki could not. To think that he would actually be marrying the woman he loved, the one he had dreamed of marrying for years now...it was surreal. And yet, at the same time, the situation was utterly terrifying whenever he imagined Ruka's reaction. Would she hate him for the rest of their lives? Despise him, curse his very name? The fear of their friendship disintegrating into loathing was exactly the reason why he had determined never to ask for her hand. Nevertheless, it was already done.

Blowing out a sigh, he watched as yet more people joined the amorphous blob of human flesh below. He should feel joy, he knew, but until he was certain that Ruka would at least tolerate the match, he could not. To think of entrapping Ruka, of causing her misery... He shook his head abruptly. No. He determined not to think of it. His thoughts were further disrupted as the ramparts suddenly trembled, producing a guttural moan as the gate lurched to life, rising upwards. A herald across from him on the opposing wall shouted down, "The king has granted permission to pass!"

Surprise washed over the knight. A ripple of excitement passed palpably below through the crowd, who immediately cheered and began chanting ever more rigorously as they marched through the gate and into the plaza that covered the distance between the inner walls and the castle proper. The doors of the palace itself remained closed, no doubt barred from the inside to prevent a riot, but at the very least the protesters had been granted access into the yard, where they could be heard more audibly throughout the royal grounds. It seemed that Kaname was taking his citizens seriously, after all. For once, the knight felt a grudging respect for the Kuran noble. It would have been easy to dismiss or even punish the people, and yet he chose instead to listen. If there was a good way to quell the unrest, it was this way.

And then, far more quickly than it had been raised, the gate was dropped back to the earth with a resounding crash. As the people turned to look, Akatsuki watched as dozens or perhaps hundreds of soldiers poured from the walls and the barracks, wielding heavy, tall shields and carrying pikes. The crowd backed away, but to either direction were closed doors that prevented escape. Within moments, the crowd was grouped tightly together, surrounded by steel. Angry, fearful shouts punctuated the air as the people pressed closer together to avoid contact with the wickedly sharp pikes the soldiers carried. Behind the soldiers, archers settled into place, cementing the defensive ring and effectively containing the protest. The people below were mostly unarmed and defenseless. Using the soldiers to contain them seemed more than was necessary, and from the reaction of the crowd, any hope at reconciliation between the citizens and the king had been dashed to pieces. Immediately, the redheaded knight revoked any respect for Kaname Kuran. Intimidating the people further was _not_ the solution.

"What's the meaning of this?" one of the citizens yelled, and immediately the voices of the people rose in a righteous clamor.

There was no verbal response. At their words, however, the soldiers shifted their position, pikes descending down to point inwards at the crowd. One member of the mob, terrified, attempting to flee. He flung himself at the ring of shields, in some vain hope of slipping through between the soldiers. Akatsuki couldn't see from his position, but there was a distinct shout, and the struggling figure collapsed, followed by a thick, poignant silence. The fate of the city and of the people below hung precariously in the balance of this moment.

And then, like a wave surging towards the beach, the crowd attempted to force its way out of the circle. Men and women threw themselves between the pikes in desperation and were immediately stopped by the wall of shields. The captain of the guard, who stood outside the circle, gave a barked order Akatsuki couldn't hear, and the circle began to close inward. One step forward, a pause, and then another, little by little forcing the people closer to one another until the pikes met human flesh. Screams ripped through the air as several people were impaled by the sharp weapons. And yet, there was nowhere for the others to run.

"No..!" Akatsuki cried, searching around him for someone who might be able to stop the madness. But there was no one, and even if he had been below in the yard, one man alone could not have changed the nightmarish turn of events.

A lone figure, a woman with dark skin and darker hair, managed to worm her way from the steely circle and was immediately shot down by a single arrow. The screams were increasing in anguish and agony as the soldiers tread over the fallen bodies. Slowly, the dirt between the crevices of the tiled plaza was turning a dark, deep crimson, swelling with the blood of the people. The blood of innocents. And the circle of soldiers did not waver. Their pikes continued to plunge through the citizens before them as if their flesh was nothing more than soft clay. And when the crowd was reduced to a pile of bodies, some still shrieking and moaning in pain, the pikes turned downwards, snuffing out each individual life with a single thrust. The captain gave another muffled order before turning with the swish of his scarlet cloak, disappearing back towards the barracks.

"No..." the knight repeated in a hoarse whisper, eyes and mouth and senses gone dry. His hands clutched the stone of the wall before him in horror.

In a few moments, all of the protesters had been murdered before Akatsuki Kain's eyes. Men, women, the elderly, even a few children... All of them were dead. Their blood was seeping so deep into the earth that it would leave a stain Kaname could never remove. And beyond the walls the city continued its mundane rituals, unaware of the massacre...for now. How many lives had been lost today? A hundred? Two hundred? The number swam dizzily through his head. His grip tightened on the wall as he forced himself not to be sick.

He couldn't remain here. Nagamichi was right. He had to get Ruka and leave the capital immediately. He may have sworn his sword to Kaname, but he had not sworn his continued presence. Abruptly, the knight turned rigidly from the gruesome scene before him and took the stairs two at a time down to the bottom, working his way around the castle through the inner tunnels of the guard wall so that he might enter from one of the guard's doors to the side of the building. As he exited the passage and emerged out into the yard, he had to pause for a long moment to still the violent shaking of his hands. Inhaling deeply, slowly, Akatsuki imagined, rather than the mound of corpses at the gate, Ruka's smiling face. He pictured her vibrant eyes, her soft lips, her honey hair... And gradually, he felt a resigned calm take hold of him. He had to remain composed, at least until Ruka was safely out of the city.

With renewed resolve, Akatsuki entered the castle. Strangely, the halls and corridors were entirely empty of the usual bustle of servants, guards, and nobility. A seed of fear rooted itself in his chest. What if Ruka were hurt, or trapped, or... He refused to think about a worse alternative. With the castle in this state, she was probably in her rooms. At least, he hoped she was.

As he turned down an adjacent hall, the knight suddenly found himself face to face with one of the castle guards. The guard looked startled for a moment before telling him apologetically, "My Lord, forgive me, but the king has ordered all nobles to return to their chambers for the time being, until he deems the situation safe."

"Oh...of course. Thank you," Akatsuki lied, giving the man a slight bow and hurrying on as though in compliance. He did duck into his own chambers, but only to replace his colorful clothes with more appropriate garb and to quickly assemble a pack into which he stuffed some money, the remains of lunch, and a few odds and ends that he considered potentially useful. Then, he was moving again, hurrying through the passageways towards the lilac rooms where Ruka lived. Fortunately, although he encountered a few more guards, most of them were otherwise preoccupied at the moment, and so the redhead made it to Ruka's chambers otherwise unimpeded. Her room was unguarded for the time being, and Akatsuki found it easy to enter after a brief knock.

The noble woman had barely responded with a faint "Come in," when he pushed the doors open and entered. Immediately, he saw that her face was ashen, her paleness accentuated by the dark circles under her eyes.

"What happened?" he asked instantly, ignoring the flash of thunderous fury through her eyes and moving closer, detecting a slight tremor in her fingertips where they rested on the arm of the chair in which she was sitting.

For a moment she only mutely shook her head, her mouth set in a straight line that wavered as something akin to tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Crouching down beside her, he searched her eyes, but found no answer there. And in the back of his mind, an alarm was sounding, telling him that they needed to leave quickly, before something far worse transpired. Or before Kaname locked down the city. Somehow, Akatsuki was sure the king would close the gates, and the knight intended to be outside them before they were.

Then, in a barely audible whisper, she said, "He killed him. Nagamichi, he's dead... I... His head...it..." She swallowed hard, unable to continue. For a brief moment, she seemed as though she might break down, fingers clenching against the arm of the chair as she quivered on the verge of tears.

"Dead...?" The word echoed dully through his mind. "Kaname...it was him, wasn't it?" He didn't need her affirmation to know it was true.

She nodded silently, eyes glittering as she fought to retain some composure. Then, turning her head to the side, she whispered, "...I don't want to see you, either."

"I know you're angry but there's no time, " he said gently. Just as he´d feared, she was angry. And yet, her anger paled in comparison to the necessity that they leave the castle immediately, before they were unable to do so.

A muscle in her jaw clenched, then unclenched, her hands and lips continuing to tremble. Still, she held fast to her resolve, tone soft but accusing as she said, "How could you..."

"Ruka... Be angry with me later, " he repeated. "I vowed to keep you safe, and it's become abundantly clear that the capital is no longer that. The safest place right now is at my side."

"I don't want to go home," she challenged, regaining some of the strength in her voice. "My father has declared war on the Toumas. They're fighting now over the Virid Wood and its nothing but chaos."

"Then we'll go to my home." He didn't add it would soon be hers, anyway.

A pause. He could see her weighing her options, weighing the consequences of her decisions. After a moment she voiced a single syllable, "Fine." Her agreement, though sharp and biting in tone, made his shoulders relax in relief. Her next words, however, sliced through him like the blade of a knife, "But this changes nothing. I still hate you."

"As long as you're safe," he murmured, feeling his heart contort painfully before he pushed the emotion aside. Ruka´s safety was paramount. After that, he would have time to be depressed.

"Don't try to be nice now," she muttered scornfully. "Well, give me a moment, I need to change..." That said, she stood and disappeared into her inner chambers, shutting the door with a loud click.

Akatsuki pressed his face into his hands, deeply feeling the burden that current events caused him. Nagamichi was dead, and along with him many of the discontented citizens of Ashgate. Akatsuki straightened at the thought, mouth setting into a grim line. It seemed as though Kaname had left a trail of bodies behind him ever since his arrival. First, although unproven, there was Kaien, and although Akatsuki had dismissed the possibility not long before perhaps the people were not wrong to accuse Kaname of the previous king's death. And then there was Ichiru, whose funeral would likely be held any day now... The Lady Shizuka had not been seen since the day of her wedding, undoubtedly mourning in her chambers. Not to mention, The Vale had been destroyed under mysterious although suspicious circumstances and Yuki and her knights were living in exile. Even Lord Takuma was presumed dead now. And all of it, every last bit of it, had started when Kaname had arrived.

And on top of it all, Ruka now despised him. He loved Ruka, for her to hate him was the opposite of what he wanted. And yet, trying to annul an already finalized engagement would cause nothing but strife between the Kain and Souen families. He was trapped just as effectively as Ruka was. But he knew that Ruka would not see that. All she would see was the reality of an undesired and unavoidable marriage looming over her head. He took a breath, standing from where he had remained beside the chair. No, now was not the time for such thoughts.

The doors opened, announcing Ruka as she stepped out in her leather riding gear; a grey, hooded cloak fastened at her shoulders and her honey hair tightly braided down her back. She offered him a frown of displeasure, but did not voice any of her complaints aloud. Instead, she moved to a cabinet where she withdrew a small purse of gold, which she attached to her belt.

"Ready?" he asked, grateful that she wasn't trying to bring all of her jewelry with her.

"Yes, though I expect once we've arrived that you'll send for my things," she decreed with a toss of her head.

"Of course," he assured her, although in actuality he wasn't at all sure such a thing could be done. After all...they were almost fugitives themselves, leaving without permission during such a delicate time. They might not be welcome back here again.

"Let's go," he bade her, opening the outer door.

"Wait...did I forget anything important..?" she mused, pausing just inside the entryway. A sound, like sand falling down into the bottom of an hourglass, echoed through Akatsuki's mind as the seconds ticked by.

Anxious, he grabbed her wrist, ignoring her attempt to twist out of his hold. "Ruka, come on, there's no time to waste!"

"Okay, okay!" she hissed. "Just take your hand off me!"

A guard rounded the corner at the same moment and, seeing them garbed in riding gear, cloaks, and with a heavy pack slung over Akatsuki's shoulder, immediately called out "Halt!" as he stepped towards them.

"Just a minute!" Ruka cried, increasingly flustered, jerking her hand free of the knight's at last.

"Everyone is to remain in their chambers until-" the approaching guard was cut off as a rain of pottery fragments shattered over his head. Akatsuki gaped to see Ruka dusting off her pants, the pedestal beside her blatantly empty of its previous contents.

"Oh...did I do something unbecoming?" she arched an eyebrow at him haughtily.

Akatsuki Kain had never been more in love with this woman than right now. Without wasting a beat, he said, "Come, quickly!" and the two raced down the hall.

"How will we get out?" the noble woman asked, her long legs keeping pace with him easily.

"The back gate shouldn't be under heavy surveillance right now," he told her. "We should be able to ride out without any trouble. Then it's a straight shot southwest to the border of the Dawn Plains."

"Well, I hope my horse is available... You know I only ride Henrietta."

The knight chose not to respond to this comment, remembering the pedigreed palomino mare that Ruka preferred on her rides. If Henrietta wasn't readily accessible, there wasn't any time to find her. Ruka would have to ride one of the cart horses if they proved to be the easiest to leave with. At this point, Akatsuki doubted there was anything that could make Ruka angrier with him than she already was. Sparing himself from her wrath was futile.

Keeping to the less used passages, the pair found themselves in the back yard of the castle and quickly crossed over to the stables. The stable still thronged with servants and the knight did not dare waste any time trying to diplomatically maneuver the questions they would surely ask. Instead, he directed Ruka straight towards the back gate, which was at the present moment relatively unguarded. A pair of guards stood at either side of the gate, though both seemed preoccupied with the bustle of activity that the knight could hear some distance off behind him towards the western wall of the castle.

"What about the horses?" Ruka whispered.

"Too many servants," he answered in an undertone. "We can get a horse later."

A frown displayed the noble woman´s discontent, though she said nothing. Boldly, he approached the gate, and at last the guards turned their eyes onto him. If the redhead remembered correctly, the guard changed every hour. He should be able to use that to his advantage.

"Halt," the guard on the right bade him. "By royal decree, none are to pass at this time. All nobles must return to their chambers."

For a fleeting moment, Akatsuki wished his cousin Hanabusa was present. The blond had a knack for thinking up ways to get himself out of trouble, and the redhead was drawing a blank. So, rather than try to talk his way out of trouble, he took a generous helping of gold coins from his pouch and passed them to the guards.

"I´d appreciate it if you´d let us pass. If anyone blames you, the guard changes in a few minutes. You can say we left on the next shift."

The guards evaluated the coins they had been given. It should have been more than a week´s pay for each, and the knight could see the greed beginning to light their eyes. After a moment, the other guard slowly said, "Well I didn´t see anything."

"Or me," the first guard agreed almost instantly. "Move along."

And just like that, they were free of the palace and the city. With a mental sigh of relief, Akatsuki thought it lucky that the grounds immediately behind the castle were reserved for hunting and therefore heavily forested. Now all that was left was to circle around to the south and head for the border. With a sideways glance to Ruka´s unhappy expression, he knew it was going to be a very long trip indeed.

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 **AN:** -music intensifies- So much drama! Review! Also, if you're interested, check out the little video trailer I made for this fic on my YT channel, earthlyxangelx2. =)


	64. 64 Yori

**AN:** Praise me, I'm so diligent I'm uploading this from the airport! -shot- Even though I'm traveling -melodramatic- I still find time to upload the chapter! Oh woe is me! LOL. I am not going to comment on this chapter, although I have a lot of comments, until the end. I'll let you read it for yourselves and then I'll throw in my own opinion at the end. At least 1 person will probably hate me for this.

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 **YORI**

Yori snapped to consciousness suddenly, propelled from a dreamless abyss by some external force she couldn't name. Immediately, hazel eyes clashed with blue, and she sat up to the pounding of adrenaline through her veins. She saw Hanabusa reach for the sword he had laid between them, placed there in case she had awoken before him in a moment of danger, but something struck at his hand and he yelped in sudden pain. Her sleep-muddled brain kicking in at last, she realized with horror that they were surrounded by a ring of black and brown. And, presiding over the circle of armed men, was a smug Rei Touma perched atop his horse. Behind him, two more men were holding the hounds at bay, who snarled and barked in response to having found their prey at last.

"Take their weapons," Rei drawled casually, and immediately the sword, knives, bow, and arrows were confiscated.

Yori closed her eyes, wishing desperately that when she opened them again this wouldn't be real, that it was all a nightmare. She knew it had been a mistake to sleep here, with barely any cover to speak of as the trees had become far more sparse on the other side of the hill, but they hadn't had much choice. There was no way that they could have traveled any further yesterday, as tired as they were. She only counted them lucky to have evaded Rei this long. And although climbing the hill presented its own series of difficulties and disadvantages, it would have taken them just as long to go around it.

"And search them," Rei added as an afterthought.

Two of the men nearest her hauled her to her feet, throwing her pack to a third who began to rifle through its contents. They did the same to Hanabusa, laughing over the meager supplies the two had left. Yori hoped it put Rei to shame to know that he had been outwitted and outrun by two underfed, exhausted nobles, though she doubted the thought would occur to him. From his expression, it was clear he was still gloating. And in the meantime, Yori was contemplating breaking the nose of the brutish man who took advantage of the situation to grope her. Before she had the chance, however, they released her and stepped back as Rei dismounted.

"I had fun at first...but... I've grown bored with this game," the child lord informed them.

"So let us go then," Hanabusa suggested. "You had your fun."

"Silence!" Rei gestured abruptly, and one of his men kneed the blond knight hard in the abdomen. Hanabusa dropped to one knee, gasping, as the boy laughed. "I told you I'm bored! You don't amuse me anymore." The lordling paused, clearly thinking, then turned to Yori to ask, "Are you worth so much trouble?"

 _No_ , she thought, but held her tongue. If he had lost interest, perhaps there was still a chance for their escape.

Rei scowled petulantly. "I'm supposed to be in Drosera, meeting my new fiancé, Maria Hio. She's the heir to the Hio lands. If I marry her...I don't really need you. It would make sense for us to connect our kingdoms with the Virid Wood. It would be an easy matter to seize the thin strip of Souen land that separates the mountains and the swamp, and together we'd control the eastern coast of the Nine Kingdoms. So you're really just...needless baggage now."

Yori swallowed. The tone of his words didn't bode well for her.

"The only use you have to me is dead." Rei giggled suddenly. "Then you can't contest our rule."

A chill swept down her spine. Momentarily, her eyes flashed to her bow, held by one of the guards. If the Touma child wanted her dead, she would die without even the barest hope of recovering her weapon.

"Don't touch her," Hanabusa managed to growl, only to receive another kick from one of the men.

"I said shut up. Shut up! Hanabusa Aidou, no one would know if I left your corpse to rot out here, too." Rei seemed furiously angry. And then, just as suddenly, he laughed, clapping his hands together happily. "Oh, I know. Let's play a little game..."

With another gesture, Rei signaled the men to haul the blond knight to his feet. Then Rei went through their possessions, combining both of their packs into a single one. He even counted out a few coins, tossing the small purse into the pack before distributing the rest to his men. Yori was baffled. Playing a game certainly meant that Rei had planned something awful, but she could not fathom what that might be.

The boy handed Hanabusa the pack, along with the Aidou house ring, saying, "I don't want to be caught with that in my possession if you die." Then, Rei inquired, "Do you like games? Gambling?"

Yori and Hanabusa said nothing. The Wakaba noble clenched her fist, feeling hatred and fear swelling through her veins. But there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. She could feel the noose slipping around her throat, but was helpless to prevent it.

"It's simple." Rei smiled. "We're so, so close to the border here, you know? In fact, I think it's right down this hill... And all you have to do is run. I even gave you a pack so you might survive. I won't chase you... I know. I'll even swear it. I swear I won't chase you, by the blood of my ancestors. You see, I'm also a man of honor."

So close. They had been so close. Rido's lands were just there, over that hill. But they had had no way of knowing, and it was too late now. Moreover, despite his oath, there was no guarantee that Rei wouldn't chase them across the border. Now, confused by the rules of this game, Yori could only stare at the Touma lord. Was he letting them go? The possibility seemed unlikely.

"That's it." Rei shrugged nonchalantly. "That's the game. Okay? ...Ready? Go."

Slowly, she and Hanabusa stepped away from Rei and his men. She didn't understand, and deep within that misunderstanding lay a fatal error, crouching and waiting to strike. But none of his men were moving to attack, only watching with mild interest. She took another few steps, cautious, waiting for the trap that Rei had surely prepared for them.

"No, you have to run, remember? Those are the rules." When it was clear neither Yori nor Hanabusa fully comprehended the situation, the lord giggled, taking Yori's bow from one of his men and placing an arrow from the quiver against the bow string.

Yori's eyes widened suddenly, her feet taking off against the ground. Not far off to her left, she heard Hanabusa curse, "Shit," before he began sprinting as well. Behind them, Rei was humming cheerfully, the sound carrying to her ears over the increasing distance and the hammering of her heart.

Rapidly, Yori assessed the situation. There were still trees here, but to stop and hide behind one would have been a mistake. Unfortunately, there was only a slight breeze today, nudging gently at the leaves of the trees. Unless the boy was an atrocious marksman, Rei's shots would assuredly find their marks. Quickly, she veered off to the right, separating from Hanabusa in hopes that apart they would present less of a target. Although...it was likely that she would draw most of the arrows fired by Rei. Her life, after all, was far less valuable, while in turn her death would have been very beneficial for the child lord.

As if in affirmation, a whish of air by her arm alerted her to the passing of an arrow a hair's breadth away. With a shuddering intake of breath, she darted away to the left, doing her best not to run in a straight line. Slowly, the ground was sloping downward, and the number of rocks that broke through the dirt here presented another very real danger. If she fell on one of them, Rei would do the rest. And she didn't have the pack to shield her back. Now she understood why Hanabusa had been made to carry it instead of her. She was the real target here, the needless "baggage" as Rei had put it. An obstacle now instead of a goal.

Bark exploded beside her as she passed a tree, the fragments sharp against her skin. She sucked in a frightened breath, using the trees as best she could to deflect arrows. However, there weren't nearly enough of them to truly conceal her, widely spaced apart as they were. At the base of the hill she could see the woods creeping back, reclaiming ground, but reaching the denser population of trees seemed a nearly impossible goal with two arrows already only narrowly missing. And she was only halfway there. She regretted the decision to climb the hill, regretted hoping that Rei had lost their trail, regretted her own ignorance. How close they had been to Sakaido without knowing it...

Switching directions, Yori chanced a glance to her left. She was confident that Hanabusa was safe and perhaps had even reached the border already. He was ahead of her, though not by as much as she had thought. As she sped forward, cutting left and then right to avoid arrows, she gradually neared the bottom of the hill. The dregs of hope were beginning to fill her chest again and yet, at the same time, she was terribly afraid. No arrow had followed the last. Rei was carefully taking aim, of that she was sure. Her sprint took her closer to the border, and closer...

And then she heard it. A muffled cry, only a small noise...and as her eyes shot to Hanabusa in growing horror she watched his body drop like a discarded rag, bouncing and rolling down the hill until it came to a stop just inside the line of the trees that marked Rido's kingdom. He didn't stir. For a moment, she felt as though her heart had turned to ice, to lead. Her curse was coming full circle again, to tear away everything and everyone from her. But her legs did not stop carrying her forward, ignoring the hazy, bloodied visions that danced behind her eyes, reminding her of every death, every moment since The Vale had been destroyed. And still somehow her legs were moving, like iron, like wood. Somehow, she was skidding to the ground by his side. Somehow…

There was blood, staining his sleeve crimson, staining her mind deeper and deeper until she could barely see. He was face down and limp and she didn't know if she had the strength to move him. She couldn't see an arrow, but the material, slick with blood, told otherwise. If the shaft had broken off during his fall, the arrowhead would be lodged deep in his flesh. And she couldn't remove it here, not without medicine or tools... The bleeding, the infection...those would kill him fastest of all. She shook his shoulder, hopelessly, helplessly, to no avail. "Hanabusa," she choked out, though the word was a pulp of syllables barely uttered by numb, raw lips. When he didn't respond, she repeated the gesture. Nothing.

Somewhere near her, she heard an arrow lodge itself into a tree. Panicked, she tried to drag Hanabusa's body away, into the trees. He was so heavy...too heavy... Despair curled through her fingertips as she strained to move him. She managed to pull him only a few feet further, just far enough that she could use one of the trees as a shield from any oncoming arrows, before she dropped back to the ground, muscles burning from the ever-present fatigue that consumed her body. She was too weak, too hungry and tired to carry him behind her. And still he hadn't stirred. There was not even the smallest indication that he was breathing.

"Hanabusa!" she cried, choking on desperation as tears began to burn deep furrows into her cheeks.

Were they both going to die here? Was he already dead? No, no, that could never be allowed to happen. Her life might be expendable, but Hanabusa... If he were gone... If he was no longer beside her...if she had to reach Seagate alone... Who would stand beside her throughout the long days and lay an arm´s length away on the long nights? Who would inspire her to keep walking when her feet were so tired that they drug along with each step like numb, unwieldy bricks? Whose voice would break the silence and whose silence would soothe her with his presence alone when she preferred to be left to her thoughts? Who would make her smile and laugh when all she wanted to do was drop her head in her hands and cry because everyone and everything she loved had been torn away and replaced with phantom, ferocious memories that congealed into nightmares with the fall of dusk? Who would she love, when this man faded away into dust?

Her eyes widened fractionally, shocked with the truth she had not seen until now, until it was too late. Until his blood fed the dirt... She shook her head desperately in denial. He couldn't die, not when she loved him. Not when he was all she had left.

"Please," she rasped, sobbing in earnest now. "Please, don't die... Not now. Not like this. Not when I-I love you." She covered her face with her hands, trembling. Without realizing it, a little more every day, she was falling for him. And now... Now was a consuming, infinity of grey that sapped her spirit dry.

A cough. The knight's body at last moved, struggling to sit up. Then, in a brittle whisper, "Good thing I'm not dead then."

"Hanabusa!" she exclaimed, the numbness that was spreading over her chest banished as her heart sparked back to life, heavy with relief. To think that he could have died... To think... But her thoughts stopped there. There was a solid knot in her chest, shoving against her heart and making it hard to breathe. Brows pulling together, her eyes faltered over the blood that slowly dripped down his arm and across his fingers. The wound couldn't be that deep, she told herself, if the blood had already slowed. But most importantly, he was alive. And that was the only reality she wanted to focus on now.

The knight was struggling to sit up. Immediately she helped him, pulling him with her behind the tree, eyes scanning his body for any sign of the arrow she knew had struck him. Instead, a small gash bled down his forehead, along with another similar cut along one side of neck. Aside from the scarlet-soaked fabric of his sleeve, there was no remnant of an arrow. She frowned, mouth tugging downwards in worry.

"Hey...I´m okay," he told her softly, and her gaze flicked back to his.

She shook her head. "I thought..." she couldn´t finish the sentence.

"I´m not though," he assured her, leaning to lightly touch his forehead to hers. "I´m not."

She took a breath. She knew he was there, knew he was alive, but the fear was still rooted in her mind. Another few inches, and that arrow might have had enough force to pierce straight through his heart. She reached up slowly, needing physical affirmation that he was alright, and let her fingers brush against his cheek. The sensation of his skin rippled outwards across her fingertips, comforting that anxious fear that she couldn't shake.

In response to her action, his lips tilted upwards, eyes capturing hers in endless, piercing blue, though his words contradicted the emotions found there as he whispered, "I do love you, Yori, but we have to move... It's too dangerous here."

His words spread a flush across her heart, heating her face. It wasn't just her, then...? This love was not just hers, but his, as well..? But to discover this feeling now, at the brink of death, so close to having it immediately torn away again... Fate was cruel. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying the tumult of emotion, and then straightened, nodding. She stood, then helped the knight to his feet, and with as much haste as they could muster they began working their way further into the trees. The sooner they put Rei Touma behind them, the better.

So far, Yori had not heard any more arrows. Nor had Rei made an appearance, swooping down from the hilltop. He had sworn he wouldn't pursue them, yet...despite that, Yori did not feel particularly comforted. And worse, although the bleeding had mostly stopped, occasionally she could see a thick drop fall from Hanabusa's hand to the ground.

She bit her lip. "Your arm..."

"It's not as bad as it looks," he replied, flexing it with only the slightest wince of pain. "The arrow only grazed me...the fall hurt me more than anything. One of the rocks knocked me unconscious."

Only partially convinced, she pressed him, "I'll need to see it anyway." If the wound was deep or had gotten dirty, it could lead to an infection. And considering the state they were already in, that was the last thing they needed.

"Not until I'm sure Rei isn't chasing us," he replied somberly.

She shook her head in disagreement. "If he is, there's no point in trying to run."

He stopped then, and she could see the logic of her words sinking in. Their fate was entirely in Rei's hands. If the boy chose to hunt them down, they would die. There was nothing more that could be done. They were deprived now of even their weapons. His hand clenched into a fist at the realization, and she saw that a purple bruise was already forming there, no doubt from hitting one of the rocks during his tumble down the hill. For a moment, Yori saw the weariness fall across his features like a veil. Some of the vibrancy dulled in his eyes. He was tired of running, too, tired of being at the mercy of fate. So very tired. They were the same feelings that drug her down like a heavy anchor.

"You're right," he admitted. "We'll look at it now. Though before that..." He pulled her towards him then, arms winding around her to hold her close.

Wordlessly, she returned the embrace, arms wrapping around him as she leaned her head against his chest. There against him she could feel his warmth, feel the beat of his heart against her ear, feel the evidence that he was alive, that he was with her still. It was his warmth and his presence that soothed her, at last quieting the clamoring fear that had continued to niggle its way through her mind. Perhaps she had lost everything, perhaps they would never even see Yuki and Zero again, but... As long as she had Hanabusa with her, she felt like she might be alright, after all.

Breaking through the moment, the shock of cool liquid against her head startled her, and she glanced up at the darkening sky in surprise. It was going to rain. She almost laughed. If Rei planned to pursue them, he would quickly lose their trail in a heavy rain. And now that they were in Sakaido it seemed that they might reach Seagate, after all.

"Let's go. It's my shoulder actually, but it can wait until we're out of the rain." Hanabusa was looking at the clouds, too, and with the dimming of the sky some of the color seemed to return to his eyes.

The blond knight stepped away from her, then paused, a sardonic smile hovering over his lips as he told her, "Besides, I'd like to put as much distance between us and that monster as we can."

Yori pursed her lips, on the verge of arguing, but then abruptly decided against it. So she nodded instead, letting her feet lead the way into Rido's kingdom. Away from the swamp. Away from Rei. And she hoped, towards Yuki...

* * *

 **AN:** Ok. So. I have a lot of reasons for doing Aidori like this, but primarily 3, so here we go. 1- Typically speaking in fantasy tropes and even in GOT itself, romance isn't all that well developed and kind of just happens. I've probably given Aidori more development than other stories would have, not that that excuses me, but I wanted to stay somewhat true to the trope in this case. And since Zeki is getting lots of development, I wanted to try a different approach with a different couple. 2- Aidori has a lot of time off-screen and given their situation, they have grown close without being able to realize what that closeness is-until now. 3- They're teenagers and look what they've been through. Even if it isn't love, they're not going to understand the difference at the moment.

You may still hate me and/or hate how I've written this. If you do, please let me know (I know I'm weird). That way, I can see what response this gets to gauge how I might write other stories/couples in the future. Please tell me your thoughts, good or bad!


	65. 65 Zero

**ZERO**

His eyes followed her movements as though entranced. The swish of her short hair across the tops of her shoulders, the uplifted corner of her mouth, the sway of her hips as she compensated for the short sword buckled at her side. The weight of his heart was crushing his chest, the hyper-awareness of his nerves scalding him where her hand held his. Being with her, prepared to take the crown so that he might live by her side...it was more than he deserved. More than he had ever dreamed. He was content like this, to remain a half-step behind Yuki, protecting her. He had spent too many years as a knight in her service. To change that now, to permit himself to accept that she could touch him...he was not sure if he could ever allow it. The magic that coursed through his veins, along with the taint of bloody memories, should be contained. He did not want those stains to spread to Yuki.

Still, the warmth her fingers conveyed, not just to his hand but directly to his heart as well, was a feeling he clung to helplessly, like an addict. Impossibly, she wanted him beside her. It was more than he had ever dared to hope for, more than he'd ever dreamed possible. At the same time, he was afraid... Afraid that the stain of his existence would gradually siphon away her joy, her hope, her very future… Already, because of him, she had lost her home. What more would she lose on his behalf? For Yuki to lose anything else on his behalf was both unthinkable and unforgiveable.

Prior to his acceptance to stand beside her and take the crown, he had dedicated so much energy to pushing her away. Each word, each gesture that distanced them had drawn another thick scar across his chest. Hurting her was a vitriol that lanced agony through his veins, and yet he had persisted. There was nothing inside of him except dried blood, old rage, and his love for Yuki. For as long as he could remember, because he loved her, he had wanted her to know something better than him. To love someone better. Even if watching her fall in love with another man would be his destruction. That was why he had stepped aside when Kaname had begun to court her. It had seemed like each time he tried to take a step closer to her, another part of him forced him to take several steps back. And even now there were times when his old habits stirred up again and tried to bind him in place.

But... He had grown accustomed to the weight of her small hand in his as they walked. To seeing her small frame lying near to him as they slept when they couldn't find an inn. To monopolizing her. The shadow within him was reveling in it. Sharply, painfully, it demanded that he move closer, and he wanted to. He had always wanted to. Had always, secretly, terribly, wanted Yuki for himself. But still he restrained himself, shutting down those dangerous feelings, because Yuki had chosen him for her own reasons, and those reasons most likely did not include something like love. He was her knight, her friend, her companion, and he would be her husband, but he didn't want to delude himself into thinking that he would ever be her lover as well. Even if his dreams tormented him with fantasies that maybe, someday, they could be. That maybe, just maybe, those small gestures, the way her hand sought his so often now, meant something more...

"Zero, promise me something..." Yuki demanded abruptly, stopping in her tracks as she turned to face him.

He paused at her words, waiting. He would promise her anything she wanted. After all, he had never refused her and he did not plan to start now. She smiled, perhaps sensing his thoughts. Then, sobering, she began, "Ever since you became my Bloodguard, you've been forced to play along with my selfishness. Even now, you've agreed to claim the throne because of my own selfish desire to have you by my side. And sometimes I think that...doing everything I could for you, becoming your ally...maybe I only did that for myself. If I could pretend that I was indispensable to you..." She trailed off, voice fading into the nothing.

He shook his head dismissively, features hardening until it seemed as if the tight chords in his neck might leap from his skin. The knight was all angles and rigidity, shutting out her words. He was the one who was selfish, the one who wanted to live entirely for her sake and yet continued to let his desires overwhelm him. How could she not be aware of it...she _was_ indispensable to him. She was more than that... She was everything. She was the sun, the moon, the stars…even the very air that he breathed. Yuki was everything.

His voice was rough with disbelief. "You make it sound as though you desperately need me." No, more than that, it almost sounded like... His mind scarcely dared to think it: ...a confession.

Her face softened then as she slowly, steadily, breathed the words. "I do, though."

His pulse jerked with sudden turbulence. She shouldn't need him. He was a shadow, a slave, a nobody, a murderer possessed of strange blood. She was wrong, _he_ was the one who needed _her_. He had needed her from the first moment he had arrived in Ashgate, broken and twisted by the ruthless cruelty of the arena. Yet over and over again she refused to believe it. Over and over, she continued to insist that she needed him, that she relied too much on him, when it simply was not true. It was entirely the reverse, even if he could not seem to convince her.

"Promise me you won't shut me out again... You always try to keep me from getting closer to you, but it's not necessary anymore." Her eyes were plaintive against his. "We're going to be equals, from now on."

The tendons of his fingers stood up now in silent denial as he squeezed his free hand into a fist. He knew she wanted that, but...he owed her his sanity, his life, his very existence. To him, they would never be equals. Because Yuki had been there for him, when he had been so damaged and bloodied that he might never have recovered, he had been able to live on. He would take the crown and sit beside her, but never would he presume to be her equal. She was the center and he was the void, an abyss of negativity and horrifying memories.

Yet the words he spoke did not convey these thoughts. Instead, he answered, "I don't understand why you'd choose someone like me... You don't need to think that strongly about me..." Then, seeing a fiery challenge burn through her gaze, he promised lowly, "I won't push you away again."

He really could refuse her nothing. Already, her request had crumbled his earlier resolve. Although he did not dare to do anything more, he was unable to keep from touching her. Raising his hand, he let his knuckles brush against the soft skin of her cheek, his thumb resting for a brief moment against the corner of her mouth before he dropped his arm. His brain was buzzing with the memory of her lips against the corner of his own mouth, and for a minute he desperately wanted nothing more than to hold her, to feel her lips move against his, to... Abruptly, he brutally eliminated such thoughts. Kissing her would definitely be overstepping his boundaries. He had never allowed himself to imagine kissing Yuki before, and he could not afford to start now, not when every day he defied his own rules a little more in order to selfishly narrow the abyssal distance between them.

"Thank you," she whispered simply. There was a visible hesitation in her features, as though she was about to say more, but she let his hand go and stepped back.

Sensing a movement behind them, Zero sighed inwardly. It was clear Yuki wanted to talk more, but also clear that they would not be able to do so. Ever since this morning, when they had passed through a tiny, despondent town, they had been closely followed by a pair of villagers. Sticking to the ferns and trees as they did, Yuki as of yet had not taken notice of their presence. The pair was not bad at stalking; however, Zero's heightened senses had detected them immediately. He had hoped they would have lost interest by now, but instead they crept ever closer.

"We should probably see what they want," he growled, hand closing around the hilt of the vel vitrum sword.

"What?" Confusion inundated the princess' eyes. "Who?"

"The two people who have been following us for a while now. They're just behind those trees." He jerked a thumb to indicate the copse of emaciated trees behind him to their left.

Yuki peered into the thicket, though of course she saw nothing there. The villagers were out of sight, and not being as attuned to their surroundings as the knight was, the princess could not detect the distinctly human presence that lurked in the trees. Zero turned heel and began making a beeline for the grove. There wasn't anywhere else in the vicinity for the two villagers to hide, so Zero was fairly confident that they would not attempt to flee. Once he reached the trees, the sword hissed from its sheath; beside him he heard Yuki mimic his action. As soon as he'd entered the thicket he saw that his assumption was correct. The two villagers were merely sitting, pretending to chat innocently while they shared the last of a loaf of bread, which disappeared behind crooked, stained teeth as the knight watched.

The silver knight lowered the vel vitrum blade, pointing it at the pair as he murmured in a gravelly voice, "What do you want?"

The villagers looked like simple folk. One of them was a bookish-looking young man with tousled chestnut hair and a narrow, angular face. The other was a round-faced girl with dirty blond hair tied into two braids. Their threadbare clothes and dirty hands suggested a hard life. Neither of them had any obvious weapons, although Zero was sure they had at least one knife between the two of them. He gestured for Yuki to take a step back. If either of these people lunged, Yuki's reflexes might not save her from a wound.

"What do you mean?" the village girl demanded.

"You've been following us all day," Zero answered steadily.

"We most certainly have not," the boy replied with a trace of scorn. "We're only taking the same route."

"Then why skulk in the shadows?" the knight asked. "What do you want? Who are you?" He pressed the tip of the sword into the hollow of the young man's throat. The villager gave a squeak of fright.

"We're farmers, nothing more," the girl declared. "My name is Nadeshiko, and that's Kasumi."

"You have three minutes to tell me your business," the knight threatened. He was sure that these two had been tracking them for a reason. And where the princess' safety was concerned he refused to take any chances. So he increased the pressure of the blade until a single drop of blood squirmed its way franticly down Kasumi's chest.

"You're Princess Yuki and Zero Kiryuu!" the boy exploded suddenly, eyes wide as they darted back and forth to that droplet of blood, Adam's apple bobbing up and down desperately.

"Kasumi!" the girl gasped, though there was a nervous undertone concealed in her voice.

"What if we are?" Yuki inquired boldly.

"If we send a raven to Ashgate, the king says...he said...he'd pay anyone for any information about your whereabouts. Well, he said that a while ago…before you were proclaimed dead." Kasumi was babbling, unable to keep his eyes from the sword poised at his throat.

Zero felt a dark wave pass over him at the mention of the king. He could never forgive Kaname Kuran for the tears he had caused Yuki to shed. Still, the news that he and Yuki were reported as dead was actually welcome. Dead men could not rally troops to their cause. More importantly, dead men could not be hunted and killed again. However, if these two villagers revealed that they in fact lived, Yuki's life would be placed in danger once again. It seemed apparent that Kaname would stop at nothing to ensure Yuki's death.

"I understand," the princess was saying, as expected. Yuki was always kind, and unfortunately her kindness was not always beneficial. "But Kan-I mean, the king won't pay you."

"We have to try," Nadeshiko muttered.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that," the knight's voice was deep, as deep as the blackness into which he must now sink. He could not permit either of these villagers to put Yuki's life in jeopardy. If Yuki did not hate him now, she surely would after this...

"Zero, what do you mean?" It was Yuki's turn to look frightened.

Jagged, tempestuous violet eyes met hers. He said nothing. His lips remained sealed. Yet the thunder in his gaze communicated his intentions as loudly as though he had shouted them. Innocent blood had to be spilled today. He had sworn an oath to protect the young woman in front of him, and nothing, not even her hatred and disgust, would prevent him from protecting her. Already, he could feel himself slipping down, descending once more into the toxic, oily black trance of apathy and cold-hearted machinations that had enveloped him in the arena. In the distance, through the lens of his memories, he could almost hear screaming, feel hot blood spilling down his skin and dampening his clothes…

"Zero, no, there has to be another way," she whispered, eyes widened in horror as she comprehended his intentions.

"There isn't," he stated harshly.

"Please, what if we just leave them here? We could tie them to a tree. They don't have to die," Yuki pleaded.

"They could tell someone afterwards," he insisted, shutting out the terrified expressions of the villagers. He did not want to see them. Did not want to feel anything as his blade severed the tenuous threads of their lives with a single slash.

Before he could act, however, Yuki withdrew several gold coins from her purse and dropped them on the ground at Nadeshiko's feet. For a moment, the village girl didn't move. Then, she scrabbled to collect them, eyes fastened on the pair of nobles towering over her with their swords drawn. Her face had the pallor of a corpse, white and gaunt and frightened, and her eyes were as wide as saucers as she trembled on the ground.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't send that message," Yuki told them. "I can't stop you, but I can guarantee the king won't reward you. He is not a generous man."

"Yuki..." Zero began warningly, though he could feel his resolve crumbling. He did not want anyone to die, especially not two young, unarmed innocents...

"Swear to us you won't send the message," Yuki continued, "and we won't take your lives."

Kasumi nodded immediately with a hasty, "I swear," followed shortly by Nadeshiko's "I swear as well."

"Let´s tie them up and leave them," the dark-haired noble repeated in a firm, clear voice. "By the time someone comes by, we'll be far away."

"Very well." The knight caved into her request, unslinging his pack from his shoulder and withdrawing the thick length of rope Rima and Senri had left them.

He was letting selfishness conquer him again, because he did not want to carve a ruthless, gruesome swath of memory into Yuki´s mind. He did not want her to look at him and remember how he had slaughtered these villagers. His selfishness would very well put Yuki into grave danger… He grit his teeth. This was what Yuki had chosen, but would he forgive himself if Kaname discovered their whereabouts and attacked again? His instincts as a knight and a pit fighter insisted that he kill them, but his instincts as a man hopelessly in love were repulsed by the prospect.

The villagers protested weakly as Zero secured them to one of the trees, but the knight paid them no heed. Yuki seemed troubled, judging by the steep slant of her eyebrows and the set of her mouth, but she said nothing, and before long they were walking down the road again. The faint cries of "You can't just leave us here!" were shortly eclipsed by distance and the buzz of swarming insects. If no one discovered the pair, it was likely that they would in fact perish, and perish in a manner far crueler than a straightforward beheading. But the silver knight did not want any blood on Yuki's hands, directly or indirectly, and so they continued down the path in preoccupied silence.

"Zero…do you think someone will find them?" Yuki queried anxiously after an indeterminable span of time.

"Yes. Their friends and family will likely search for them. They aren't far from the village," Zero answered, mostly to assuage the girl´s fears.

"What about animals? Would they attack?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "But there aren't many creatures that would attack or eat a human."

His response mollified her for a time, but before long he could see her beginning to worry once more. Yuki fidgeted with the straps of her pack, with her sword belt, with her lower lip, catching it between her teeth and releasing it in an endless loop. Zero judged that about an hour had passed when she finally scuffed her boots with an air of finality against the ground and planted herself firmly in the middle of the path, announcing, "I'm going back for them. We can't leave them there."

Noting the determination in her chocolate eyes, whatever protest the knight might have attempted stuttered out and was extinguished against his lips. Against his better judgment, against his inhibitions, he found himself nodding silently, acquiescing as he always did. Yuki might see him as the future king, but he would always serve her. He was a knight, first and foremost, and her will was his command. Placing a crown on his brow would not alter that fact, just as elevating his status from slave to heir apparent had not altered it.

And so they retraced their footsteps. Going back cost more time than Zero had anticipated, as they had to tread with care on the muddy, slippery road, but before long they had rediscovered the copse of trees where the two villagers were tied. Strangely, the nobles' arrival did not provoke any noise, not even shouts for help. The trees were silent, observing the approach of the knight and his lady without comment.

A dark blotch, fading into the dirt, first alerted Zero that something was wrong. He motioned for Yuki to step back, his sword already in hand as he navigated around the closest tree. Fingers tightening on the hilt, he saw that the area had been soaked with blood. Yuki's breath came as a gasp as he realized the trunks of the trees were painted with faint traces of red, as well. Nearing the place where they had left the villagers, the red increased in quantity, the liquid pooling in the natural dips of the earth like shallow puddles of spilled wine.

The rope that had held the two villagers had snapped, its ends frayed red. His foot nudged something solid. Glancing down, he saw a dismembered shoe, dyed crimson, fractured bone protruding upward at a sharp angle. Kasumi was still leaning against the tree, torso twisted in a grotesque contortion of the human body. One arm was twisted beneath him, the bone jutting from the skin. The other was flung across the ground a few feet away, hand outstretched as if in a plea for help. His face was fixed in agonized horror, one glazed eye staring sightlessly ahead, the other gouged from his head in a bloody cavity. His legs were at opposing angles, stuck out like a carelessly discarded puppet. A stream of crimson led away from the scene, as though Nadeshiko's missing body had been drug away. Behind him, he heard Yuki muffle a scream.

The shrill sound provoked a bulky shape lingering behind the trees. Surprisingly fast for its large size, Zero jumped to the left to narrowly avoid the jaws of a massive green lizard, which snapped shut with tremendous force. Judging by the blood-stained teeth, the creature was responsible for the deaths of the two villagers. The silver knight, although startled by the beast´s appearance, felt no tremor of fear. It did not matter who or what the enemy was; he was prepared. He had faced other such monsters in the arena, some of them far more sinister than this one.

The lizard lunged forward again and Zero evaded fluidly, brandishing the vel vitrum blade with a practiced hand. Fortunately enough, the creature had just been sated with a heavy meal, and therefore was not as agile as it might otherwise have been. The beast snapped its enormous jaws at Yuki, who retreated quickly, eyes fused to the lizard as bitter tears rolled down her cheeks. Her lips quivered, gaze darting momentarily to the gruesome shoe before returning to the monster. Zero knew she was blaming herself for what had happened, though if anyone should take the blame it should be him for contradicting common sense and leaving the villagers alive.

Attention wavering beneath the force of her sorrow, the princess did not leap back in time to effectively dodge the next attack of the lizard, who had continued to advance on her, tail waving menacingly. Zero heard her foot snag against the mud as her small frame crashed to the ground. The short sword, which she had drawn only seconds before, clattered uselessly from her hand. Immediately, Zero closed the distance between himself and Yuki. The creature thrashed back and forth momentarily, torn between the two humans, and as it did so the knight plunged the blade downward, cleanly impaling the beast between the eyes. Yuki gave a squeak, breathing heavy and fast, but accepted the hand Zero offered her as he pulled her to her feet. The lizard shuddered, growing still on the ground beside them, its tail twitching sporadically.

"W-what is it?" the princess asked tremulously.

Zero shook his head. The greenish lizard was certainly huge and distinctive with its thick, scaly hide and rows upon rows of wicked teeth, but the knight had never seen anything like it before. Even now, still and bleeding, it presented a terrifying image.

"This is my fault," Yuki murmured brokenly, tears streaming down her face.

"It's not," Zero denied. "It was an unfortunate accident."

"I wanted to leave them. Killing them would have been quicker…and more merciful… They didn't deserve to die like this…" A hiccup, and the girl buried her face in her hands.

"You had no way of knowing," the knight assured her, chest tightening at the princess' pain.

"It was because of my decision, because of me…"

Zero´s arms had found their way around her, holding her close while her shoulders quivered, bowed down under the weight of a guilt the silver-haired man did not wish her to bear. She shouldn't have to bear it. It had been his responsibility to protect her, to kill the villagers, and yet he had wavered. Wanting to comply with her wishes, wanting to protect her…he could not always reconcile both of those things, and it had been foolish of him to try.

Yuki pressed herself closer, and the knight was struck by how small she was. She was so fragile, so delicate, and yet she was thrust into danger which she should never have had to face. The blood splattered across her boots was a sharp reminder that Zero was failing his duty to keep her safe. He had hoped that she would never have to see something like this, to witness death up close like this.

"Come on," he said gently, steering her away from the scene even though part of him wished to keep holding her close like that forever. "Don't look back."

"They should be given a proper burial, at least," Yuki protested through her tears.

There was a heavy pause, and finally Yuki herself seemed to grasp reality as she whispered, "Although we can´t do anything for Nadeshiko…there's nothing left to bury…"

As she choked on a sob, Zero's fingers interlaced with hers as he pulled her away from the grisly remains of the villagers and the lizard's carcass. Her grip on his hand was strong, almost desperate. Just like always, just as it had been from the very beginning, each time Zero tried to draw apart or break away or keep himself from falling even more in love with her, Yuki clung more tightly to the bond they shared. Perhaps their bond was unbreakable, after all.

* * *

 **AN:** Well, we met 2 more side characters who lasted a whole chapter! Wow! I'm sure everyone is sufficiently frustrated with Zeki-when WILL they finally get together? But at least we have Aidori now!


	66. 66 Maria

**MARIA**

When Maria returned to Ashgate, the cities had been flooded with corpses. The crumpled, crooked bodies of men, women, and even children decorated every street corner, staring outward with unseeing, rotting eyes. A sickening, cloying odor curled around the carriage as it neared the castle, scratching her nostrils with its unbearable scent. The cadavers, fixed onto thick wooden spikes, were swarming with flies and crows, who ravished the veritable feast of flesh before them. Maria trembled weakly, shielding her eyes and nose as best she could from the onslaught. She had received word from a messenger pigeon that Lord Nagamichi Aidou had staged a failed rebellion and that his supporters had been killed, but she had not expected their bodies to line the streets when she returned.

By the time she reached the castle, she was fighting back the urge to retch at the feet of the servant who helped her out of the carriage. At least within the castle gates there were no corpses to be seen. Nevertheless, she could still easily recall the images to her mind. Kaname was truly twisted, to use the corpses of the protestors as a means of dissuading further thoughts of rebellion...

Escorted into the castle by her servants and guards, Maria found herself immediately searching for Shizuka. Her cousin did not greet her as she had expected. The Hio girl had sent a raven ahead with news of her early return only a few days before, and she supposed Shizuka might not have received it, however unlikely the possibility. Regardless, Maria knew where Shizuka would be. The noble woman had locked herself in her chambers, along with Ichiru, who was comatose but still clinging desperately to life. Maria had seen it all, through the eyes of an owl at the wedding. And though she should have been in Drosera, getting to know her future husband, after Ichiru had been poisoned she found that she could no longer do so. She was not going to be separated from Ichiru's side while his life hung precariously on a ledge between life and death.

It was in the corridor that led to Shizuka's rooms that Maria came face-to-face once again with Kaname Kuran, king of the Nine Kingdoms and the one responsible for Ichiru's condition. Immediately, anger vibrated along the contours of Maria's limbs. This man posing as their king was a murderer, just like his father. Maria hoped the weight of the crown crushed his skull.

"Good day, My Lord" she seethed through her teeth.

"And to you, My Lady," Kaname replied amicably.

The girl was not able to hold back her words as she passed the Kuran noble in the passage. "You killed him," Maria accused, voice low and barely audible.

The words caused the king to stop. When Seiren turned her head, her eyes were lurking with danger. Kaname walked back, facing her as he shook his head with an empty, false smile and pretentious gaze. "I assure you, I did no such thing. What happened with Ichiru was an unfortunate accident."

"You did," she hissed, shaking, though from anger or fear, she couldn't say. "While everyone was watching the bride and groom, your guard did something to his goblet. It was a spell for poison." Kaname could deny her claim until his tongue decayed and fell from his mouth. She had seen him do it.

It was as though his eyes were doors, opening to a squirming, writhing mass of malevolence. His words were soft and razor sharp as he answered, "You shouldn't invent such fantasies. I know you're upset, but how could you know what happened? You were in Drosera. And as I said, it was an accident. I took no part in it."

"Was I?" she asked, her voice barely strong enough to piece together the syllables. This man terrified her, but the wound he had inflicted on her went deeper than fear. It had ripped out her heart and trampled it to dust. "Perhaps you should write to Lord Touma and ask him if I arrived?"

For the first time, a new and unfamiliar emotion surged through the king's expression. The shadows seemed to step off the wall and crowd around his face as he leaned close to her, fingers gripping her arm so tight that her hand started going numb. His whisper curled through her ear abrasively. "My Lady Maria. If I were in your place I would be very, very careful who I voiced such baseless opinions to. I'm telling you this to protect you. I'd hate it if anything...untoward...were to befall you."

She trembled. Kaname released her with a tight smile of warning, straightening. Before he could leave her, however, she dared to ask, "That was how you killed Kaien too, wasn't it? Only no one was there to watch you, and you took your time with it."

"I gave you your warning..." he murmured, face veiled.

His expression all but shouted out his guilt. A hollow smile flickered across her face. To thwart her own untimely demise, she assured him, "You needn't trouble yourself with me, My Lord. I have no proof. Nor was I allegedly in the capital during either incident. My accusations would convince no one of the truth."

"No," he agreed. "And as I'm sure anyone here at court would agree, grief warps one's thoughts in strange, unexpected ways."

"Yes...forgive me." She curtsied and left, tone devoid of all sincerity. For a moment, Maria wondered if Shizuka hadn't vastly underestimated Kaname. Maria suspected her cousin's motives for being in the capital weren't entirely pure, for the sake of announcing her marriage and swearing fealty to the king, though neither had Shizuka told the girl her secret motivations.

These thoughts were suddenly ground to a halt when the girl faced the doors to Shizuka's chambers. The guards opened the doors for her silently, and she crossed the threshold into a room furnished with lilac and mauve tones. The doors to the inner chamber were closed and guarded as well, but Maria was able to pass without issue. She and Ichiru were the only ones permitted into Shizuka's sanctuary here in the capital.

Once inside, Maria saw that a cot had been brought into the room, upon which Ichiru rested. Without a word of greeting to her cousin, the girl rushed to the Kiryuu noble's side. The young man's face was ashen, with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes even though he slept. Though the rise and fall of his chest indicated that he lived, Maria felt as though she was looking upon his corpse. Heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, staining the sheet which covered him, but he did not stir.

"Ichiru," she sobbed, kneeling over the bed. "Ichiru..."

If only she had been able to take some action at the wedding. But she had been confined within the body of the owl, forced to bear silent witness. She had attempted to spur the bird to action, but she had been so very, very tired that day, and as soon as Ichiru had fallen unconscious to the ground she had found herself expelled from the animal's body, her mind overwrought with fatigue and despair. The journey and her endless dreams at night had left her drained. If only she had known that Kaname had marked Ichiru for death... If only she had never left Ashgate to begin with...

The Kiryuu's body was blurring and contorting through the flood of hot tears that scathed her face. Through her quiet, hiccuping sobs, she heard Shizuka say, "You're crying like a child. So you really did love him. If you're afraid of being alone, would you like to remain here with me a while?"

"Why?" Maria demanded instead. "Why did Kaname try to kill Ichiru? Ichiru has never done anything wrong..." No, he had only been good and kind to her when she had been lonely and sick.

There was a long, profound pause. Maria turned accusatory eyes to her cousin, who at last shrugged with a barely perceptible rise and fall of her shoulders and explained, "Because of his heritage."

"I don't understand," Maria whispered.

"Of course not." Shizuka regarded her with a steady, measuring gaze. "I did not expect Kaname to know, either. But it seems he was already aware that the Kiryuu bloodline is the one which has the truest claim to the throne."

The wake of that sentence stopped the Hio girl's tears for a moment. What..? It didn't make sense. The throne belonged to the Kurans, to Yuki specifically. Yuki, however, was presumed dead, and the throne had passed to her cousin. After Kaname, it should go to Rido. And after Rido, to one of his sons. But, for the throne to pass to a Kiryuu seemed impossible. The Kiryuus weren't even a noble house.

As if reading her mind, her cousin explained, "The Kiryuus ruled before the Kurans. There was a conflict between them and the victor is obvious. I had intended to assert my own claim to the throne...through Ichiru." The noble woman leaned her head against her hand, hair curtaining in a thick white waterfall around her face. "Ichiru wouldn't have been a great leader, warrior, or perhaps even mage. Some boys develop more slowly, although he's still young and he has other gifts. However, he has one gift that surpasses all of the others. That is, the gift of a great name. Sometimes, that's all one needs." Rose eyes flicked to Ichiru's form and then back to Maria. "By the time he opens his eyes, the world might have already changed completely. I haven't been able to wake him. At the wedding-"

Maria shook her head, cutting off her cousin´s explanation as she touched the silver-haired noble's cheek, attention wholly fixed again on the object of her affection, on her childhood friend and personal hero. "I saw everything."

A pause. Then, "How?"

Maria did not waver her gaze from Ichiru as she answered. "Remember I used to dream of being an owl..? It seems like..." She hesitated. "It seems like I don´t have to be dreaming anymore."

The thick silence finally called the young Hio´s attention. She turned to look at her cousin again. The older woman tapped a finger against the corner of her mouth as she processed this information, and then murmured, "So you do have the ability after all..."

Maria scrunched her brow, curious. "Ability?"

"Yes. It explains why you've never shown particular talent for the magic I wield. I did not realize how this power manifested itself but... It would seem you are some type of skinchanger...a warg, as it's called in texts, and a much stronger one than I suspected." Before the girl could question her, Shizuka continued, "It's an ancient magic, one that's been nearly lost. The ability to wear another's skin, normally a beast's."

Maria's eyes widened. "Then...it' magic?"

Her cousin´s lips twitched. "Of course. This is actually...quite perfect. I swore revenge on Kaname Kuran and it seems as though an opportunity may have presented itself to me at last. I prefer subtlety, after all. Naturally, it will be dangerous, particularly for you."

The young Hio returned her gaze to Ichiru's comatose form, feeling fresh tears begin to prick against the back of her eyes. She nodded and said quietly, "I will help you get revenge."

"Good girl. I intend to be the queen, but an action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure. We must be patient and cautious. The marriage to Ichiru is official, and if he lives I will be unopposed."

Maria held back a grimace. Just as she had known, Shizuka had not come to the capital merely to exchange pleasantries with the court. She had come for a far greater purpose: the crown. But despite all that the older woman had concealed from Maria, despite all of the manipulations and the grief the girl suffered from having to watch Ichiru taken further and further away from her...despite all of it, Maria knew that Shizuka was far more deserving of the throne than Kaname Kuran could ever imagine to be. Shizuka was cunning and ambitious, two qualities that were important for anyone in a position of power. Kaname, on the other hand, was a blight on the kingdoms. At his core, Maria knew him to be a criminal.

"However," Shizuka smiled, "before we can usher in the new, the old has to be put to rest. Kaname Kuran needs to be punished."

For once, the Hio cousins were totally in agreement with one another.

* * *

 **AN:** I did actually think about having someone else kill Ichiru, but that would have required another character, and lazily I didn't feel like developing one. We've already got way too many LOL. I hope you don't mind, and it gives the Hios a good reason to band together against Kanalame. Idk about Shizuka deserving the throne though, Maria is a little biased. Anyway, in case you didn't catch it, Maria turned around and came back before she made it all the way to Drosera's capital, which is pretty lucky for her, because imagine the state of anger Rei will be in when he comes home hehe. Even if he thinks he killed Aidou, he still knows he missed Yori, so he's probably throwing a tantrum.


	67. 67 Takuma

**AN:** No warning this time, should be ok hehe. Previously on Takuma's Arc, Sara took him from the cell at last. What happened after that..?

 **TAKUMA**

He was dreaming. He knew it, and yet he clung to those fragmented, bittersweet images, wishing that they would stretch themselves out ad infinitum until the black of death kissed his mind and invited him to sweet, eternal slumber. The numbing kiss of death was certainly more welcome than the voracious kisses of Sara Shirabuki.

But such thoughts brought him closer to waking, so he shook them off as one would a spider web. Instead, he gazed inward upon an open field of vivid green grass, overthrown by the sheer blue canvas of the sky. A slight breeze was stirring through the grass, hissing like the warning of a passing snake. The rays of the overhead sun warmed his skin, coaxing a smile from his lips. Somewhere above sounded the cry of a bird, and when he turned his head to look, he saw bronze-tipped wings dipping down below the grass, and then away again, having missed its prey. Relaxed and content, Takuma would have preferred to stay here forever.

Reality called. Harsh, strident, its voice was like nails scraping across his skin, sharp enough to draw blood. He shuddered before he realized that it was not a voice, but rather fingers that stroked along his back, deceptively gentle...for now. Intent on ignoring the summons, he let himself drift further along, back towards the field, back to sunshine and summer and life...

"Takuma..." A voice spoke his name like velvet...drenched in ammonia. The fingers moved to his cheek, and he was forced to respond, opening his eyes reluctantly to meet blue eyes laced with pale ice.

"You were dreaming," Sara smiled as he rolled on to his side, effectively dislodging her hand without insulting her.

"Yes," he affirmed, a tad wistful. Would she let him return to that field, he wondered? Unlikely.

Takuma held back a sigh. Sara had finally released him from his torment and brought him to stay with her, but she rarely permitted him to so much as leave her chambers. He remained a prisoner, albeit one who lived in more comfort than he had before. And his thoughts of mindless obedience were beginning to wane. He longed for fresh air, for more than these four walls. More than that, he grew anxious to return to Kaname, even though he doubted Sara would ever allow him to do so. And...too...he could feel hatred coiling noxious tentacles in his stomach, making him nauseous at the mere sight of Sara´s horrifyingly beautiful face.

"What were you dreaming about?" she queried.

"Nothing. Just images," he told her, thinking back beyond the field, to when he had dreamed of the Stormy Isles, of going home, of seeing Kaname in the Timeless City again...

"Tell me," she bade him, in a cloying, honey voice.

Hesitant, he murmured, "I dreamt of...of my home."

Displeasure bleached her features. "You still want to leave me, then." She stood, moving to slip on a shimmery blue robe which she tied about her waist.

"No," he denied, suddenly anxious. The room seemed to have gone cold.

"Tell me about the last _pleasant_ dream you had involving the two of us," she commanded, expression stony.

He flinched, visibly distraught and fumbling for words. He had never dreamed such a thing. Never. She was the face of his deepest, most profound nightmares.

"Takuma..." Her tone had dropped to a dangerous purr. "It seems you have not learned, after all. You still don´t love me." She approached him now, leaning down to kiss the corner of his mouth. "One day, you will no longer understand the difference between love and hate. And on that day, you will be mine."

"I´m already...," he began to protest feebly, before trailing off uncertainly. The lie made his tongue swell and burn. He wasn´t. He wasn´t hers and she knew it as well as he.

Her pale, slender knuckles rapped against the door, and the guard opened it, a question in his eyes. Sara whispered something to him, and a moment later he disappeared. Takuma began to stand, but the noble woman gestured for him to sit, so he remained on the bed, filled with dreadful curiosity.

"Do you want to see Kaname Kuran again?" she asked now, beginning to build a fire in the fireplace.

The Ichijou noble´s brow crinkled. A fire, in this weather? It was far too hot. Still, he didn´t argue. Instead, he replied simply, "Yes."

She gave a short laugh. "If he were here, I´d kill him for that. He´s still more important to you than me. I hope he dies a horrible, bloody death." She smirked vindictively.

Takuma remained rigid, unsure what this lady spider was planning next. He was only glad Kaname was far from this place.

"You know, he doesn´t even know you´re alive. In fact, the Nine Kingdoms believe you dead. I´ve mentioned this before, but...no one is coming to save you. Only you can save yourself. Forget him. Forget everything except me."

Carefully, mechanically, he answered, "I may have betrayed Kaname as a lord and ally, but I won't betray him as a friend. I can't forget him so easily..."

"It really is such a pity, after all of our shared moments here, that you still refuse to love me..." A pause, then, "It wasn´t good for you?"

His mouth was growing dry. Sara was going to do something more to him... She was... His mind was already beginning to race in helpless circles.

At last the door opened, cutting off his thoughts, and two guards entered, dragging a decomposing body behind them. For a moment, Takuma stared in confusion. The body was bloated red, disfigured, and rancid. It looked as though Sara had preserved it, but even so... He held his breath, averting his gaze to collect himself before his eyes inevitably wandered back. There was something familiar about this corpse. And as he looked he saw that, despite the bloating, despite the strange coloration, he could recognize the face. Eyes wide, he saw that it was one of the guards who had accompanied him here and been killed by Sara´s men: Hinata. As he stared in unbridled horror, a third guard began placing heavy iron padlocks on the windows, locking them shut.

"Do you recognize her?" Sara asked, barely waiting for his answer before she continued, "It's probably hard to... But if you look closely, you'll see the face of one of your guards. Pitiful things... They died so easily..."

"Burnt flesh is such an...intriguing scent..." Sarah mused, gesturing for the guards to push the body into the fireplace. Takuma felt dizzy, helpless to watch as the guards slowly closed the metal grate in front of the fireplace and locked it as well. "There´s plenty of wood there, not to mention a few ingredients to help stoke the flames. She will burn for a while." A smirk. "In just a few moments I'll show you a sweet dream."

"Why... Why are you doing this?" he pleaded, eyes riveted to the burning corpse as the guards exited the room.

"Because, Takuma, sometimes people need a gentle reminder of where their priorities should be. You will stay here and think about what´s important to you, and after..." She gave him a slow, vitriolic smile. "After, you will return to your cell. You're going to suffer, but in time you're going to be happy about it."

"No... Please. Sara..." He stood despite the acidic glare that urged him to remain as he was. "Please..."

"Sit." She pointed callously to the bed.

"No, no, please listen to me," he begged, approaching her. His hand reached out, thinking to touch her just as she wanted him to. He knew she longed for his affection, and yet...

Yet he still felt the sudden sting of her fingernails gauging his flesh, lacing his cheek with rough lines of pain. He flinched, though he made no sound, eyes fixated on the floor.

"Don´t presume to touch me until you´re cleansed of these dirty thoughts of leaving me."

"I told you I´m yours..." he whispered emptily, brokenly, as he heard her move away.

"Maybe, but you do not love me." The sound of the door shutting, followed by the rasp of the lock against the frame, punctuated her words.

In her absence, the stench of rotting flesh and burnt hair began to permeate the room. As the flames crackled around Hinata´s body, a sweet, leathery odor wafted from the fireplace. Some of the smoke escaped through the narrow chimney, but the rest of it settled heavily throughout the chamber, making his eyes water.

He despaired, falling to his knees in the middle of the floor. To go there again, to the dungeon, to be eviscerated and tormented and starved... A sob caught in his throat, raw and hot. The panic that threatened to overwhelm him was already recycling the words: I´m yours, I´m yours, I´m yours... But he had defied her. He had dared to think again that perhaps he wasn´t, dared to dream of more than just a forgetful black void. He had dared to remember the man he used to be. And that dare would be his undoing.

The scent of the charring corpse, mixed with smoke, was growing thicker, clogging his nostrils and scorching his lungs. Vaguely, he thought a servant should be assigned to clean the chimney, though his mind was dominated by fear and disgust. Tearing wounded eyes away from the flames, he scanned the room for any means of escape. The windows were padlocked, as well as the chimney, and he understood now why Sara had preferred for them to stay in this room. It was easily transformed into its own species of torture chamber. Maybe it had been designed that way. And there was no other door, no other means of escape. He was trapped, trapped while the smell of Hinata´s burnt body clawed its way through his nose, throat, and lungs.

Sometimes, when he awoke in the bed he now shared with Sara, he was thrown into a frenzy. Sometimes, for a moment in the grey dawn, he could see his body as it should be after all of the torture Sara had inflicted on it. He could see his skin riddled with gashes and holes, could see protruding bones and displaced organs. At those times, he had only been able to sob uncontrollably, like a small child, his only comfort the monstrous arms of the Lady Shirabuki. But lately, he had begun to dream again of home, of sunshine and laughter. Those dreams were always snuffed out with the morning. And now, facing another interim of horror in the bowels of The Citadel, those dreams might be snuffed out forever.

Smoke had begun to fill the room. His head was pounding, breathing labored. The smell was driving him insane. It was the odor of nightmares, the odor of Sara Shirabuki´s sadistic, maniacal madness, paired with his own failures. It was his fault, after all, that Hinata was dead, along with the rest of his guard. So perhaps it was only just that her bloated corpse should remain imprinted on his eyes and her burning flesh on his nose.

His thoughts were becoming disjointed. He couldn´t go back, couldn´t go back under into the dark descent of madness, where he would surely become so broken and warped that he could never heal again. He couldn´t. Couldn´t...

But he was at fault, after all. He had failed everyone. His grandfather, his best friend... His mother had died, too, giving birth to him. Something about an illness...or was he the illness?

Or was he? His mind was too muddled.

And still, he hadn´t been able to stop himself from wrapping his hands around Sara´s dainty neck, the hatred consuming him to kill her, to end her existence. But the look of ecstasy in her eyes had jolted him back to his senses.

He loathed her. Yes. He wanted to make her suffer, sometimes, and then immediately after he felt like crying. Because he feared he was becoming more and more like her.

 _Someone, please_... He struggled to his feet, mind numb and sore and nauseous.

Contradictions pressed at his temples. He loathed her and he needed her to love him. To be gentle, and kind, and tender... Because he could not go back to the cell. Please, just...not again, never again... He would never utter a word against her wishes again, if she would just take it back. If she would promise not to hurt him.

He was choking, suffocating, drowning...he wasn´t sure what, only that he was rupturing into a million pieces. His fist was pounding against the door, begging, "Please! I´m yours, Sara, I´m yours!" But either she did not hear him or she did not care. And the smoke continued to thicken, continued to blot out his senses with the sickening perfume of Hinata´s corpse.

Why...why... Why was it him who had to suffer like this? He could only think that it was because he deserved it.

Stomach heaving, he turned to retch just before passed out in front of the door.


	68. 68 Hanabusa

**AN:**

Hey everyone, I've got some kind of bad news for you all. This year I've been crazy busy, so since August I haven't written even a single chapter of this fic. What does that mean? Well, it means I'm honestly afraid of eventually catching up to where I've written and you guys having to wait weeks or even months for updates. I don't want that. So, in order to pace myself better, and give myself more time to write without making you guys wait for a very long time, I've decided to publish **every other week.** I could probably continue updating every week for a while longer, but there are some upcoming chapters I'd like to change or polish better because I feel that the quality doesn't match the beginning of this fic. I apologize for this... With my crazy life as it is, it's very hard to dedicate the time and effort needed to create chapters that I feel satisfied with. Therefore, next Monday there will be no chapter, but rather the following Monday (and so forth). If/once I feel that we've established another comfortable barrier of completed  & polished chapters, I'll return to updating every week. I hope to be able to change back to this schedule at least by the new year, but I can't guarantee it. Again, I'm really sorry for this change. =( As a way of apology, I'll be working on another bonus chapter. If there's anything you'd like to see in the chapter, let me know!

* * *

 **HANABUSA**

In the grey din of the morning, the blur of hazy dreams gradually faded out, washed over with the sharp hues of reality. Mind slowly coming into focus, Hanabusa floated in the gradient of dream and reality for a few moments longer, feeling the soreness of his overtaxed limbs pull him closer to waking. He blinked, disoriented as he realized that it was faintly light rather than dark. There was something wooden in front of him, and above that, across the room, short, narrow windows from which the light originated. He shook himself mentally, still half-rooted in dreams. Vague images still lingered in his mind. They filled him with anxious urgency, though he couldn't remember what they depicted. But he was also comfortable, apart from his throbbing shoulder, completely unlike when he usually awoke, sweating and apprehensive on the ground.

The room came into focus. He registered a dresser before him, and not far away a bed in which Yori slept still. He realized suddenly where he was. The past night sprinted through his mind, and he remembered with vivid clarity the chase into Rido's land, Yori's sobbing confession, and the grueling miles to this town, where he had collapsed immediately into a bed in the inn. After, he could only remember the black of sleep. He could barely remember the journey to the town they currently were staying in, nor could he remember how long ago they had arrived. Had it been one day? Two? More?

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stretched, sitting up slowly as he took stock of his surroundings. A constant, drumming din above him told him that it was raining, and his suspicion was confirmed when he peered at the window, where the light broke and shattered into neurotic droplets that raced and scurried down the glass. It was impossible to say whether it was morning, afternoon, or evening. It was only grey, and the grey was so complete that he could not distinguish more than the obvious generality of the weather.

Sitting up now, his eyes immediately sought Yori. She was curled around her pillow, breathing deep and even in sleep. Her face was relaxed and vulnerable and he felt his heart give a slight lurch with the desire to move to her side. And…perhaps fall back asleep there… He lay back down on his uninjured side, alternating between watching Yori sleep and the rain pour across the glass of the window. He was still exhausted, but although he wanted nothing more than to return to the sweetness of slumber, he knew he should wake long enough to re-hydrate and eat.

A smile played with his lips as his gaze traced over each of Yori´s features. How sudden it had been, to learn that she was in love with him… Yet, perhaps in his heart he wasn't surprised. After all, he had come to love her in exactly the same fashion, as slowly but surely as a toxin. If loving Yori was a poison, though, it was one he willingly took. Somehow, he could no longer imagine not having the young woman beside him. She had become as indispensible and necessary to him as the air he breathed. He had no doubt that it was because of Yori that they had survived this long. She was truly amazing, and he had no intention of letting her go now. As long as Yori herself didn't have any complaints, the first order of business Hanabusa had when and if he made it to Seagate was writing home to announce his full intention to wed Sayori Wakaba. He grinned, imagining Rei´s reaction to that bit of news. He would have to remember to write the boy a personal invitation.

Nevertheless, before he could think ahead to their future, there were more pressing and immediate concerns that should be dealt with. First and foremost, they had to reach Seagate alive. Second, they had to find a way to reunite with Yuki and Zero. Golden eyebrows slashed down across his face. They had to be alive, had to be safe… Yuki´s safety was paramount.

A faint sound drew his attention and he saw Yori was also waking. She pressed her face into the pillow for a moment, yawning, and then finally opened her eyes blearily. After a moment, he saw them focus on his face, and he tilted up his mouth in a smile. She returned the gesture, seeming just as confused as he had been for a moment before she finally relaxed. Undoubtedly, she, too, was putting together the pieces of the previous day.

"We've made it to Sakaido," he reminded her with a dry voice. He reached for his canteen, which was beside the bed, and took a long drink.

She nodded.

"I can't say it was thanks to me, though." He quirked an eyebrow. "Since I did suggest sleeping on that hill. Next time I have an idea like that, punch me in the face."

A drowsy laugh. Yori reached for her canteen as well then, sitting at the edge of her bed and stretching. Hanabusa vaguely remembered the innkeeper stuffing them in the attic out of the way of the rest of the visitors. The knight thought he had bathed before sleeping, especially since the clothes he was currently wearing were not the ones he'd been wearing before and the bandage around his shoulder looked fresh, but beyond that he could not recall even the slightest detail of the previous day.

"Do you remember what we did with our clothes?" the knight asked, half joking but also half serious. They weren´t drying anywhere in the room.

"I hate to tell you, but…I can't remember anything except falling into bed. And something about a cabbage," the auburn-haired girl added as an afterthought.

"The innkeeper is going to think we passed out drunk when I have to ask her about last night."

"I think maybe it was two nights ago." Yori frowned.

"Damn," the blond lord sat up now too, rubbing his temples.

"It could be worse. We could be dead," Yori murmured somberly.

"Is that optimism or pessimism?" he asked, standing and rifling through their pack to see what Rei had left them with. "Personally, I'm inclined towards pessimism, seeing as how my sword is gone."

Hanabusa scowled. That sword had been a gift from his father for his sixteenth name day. The blade was perfectly balanced to the knight´s hand and he could not imagine wielding any other weapon. At least, he wouldn't entrust his life to any other weapon the way he could to his sword. Even if another like it was made, it wouldn't be the same. Losing the sword was like losing an arm. Only a day or so gone, and he could feel its phantom weight around his waist.

"Your fortune did say you'd lose a valuable possession…" she reminded him.

He sighed, then moved to sit beside Yori, letting his attention drift to the rain-streaked window. "You're right, though. I could have lost my life."

"I'd like to make another bow, but it would take quite a while…"

The blond lord was unsurprised to learn Yori could also make bows as well as shoot them. Unlike the noblewomen in the capital, she was not a wallflower, raised to adorn some man's arm. No, Yori was strong and brave and smart, and besides all of that she was a far better companion than most of the knights Hanabusa had trained with. The Aidou lord would entrust his life to this young woman without any questions asked. Some of the knights in Ashgate, however… He gave a mental shake of his head. He'd have better luck trusting a stump.

With these thoughts in mind, he reached over to take the noblewoman's hand. "I didn´t have a chance to really express it before, but I feel like I should say it now very clearly." He took a breath, feeling inexplicably nervous as he heart gave a shudder. Blue eyes met hazel as he murmured, "I'm in love with you, Sayori Wakaba, and I swear that I will honor you and protect you with my life, if need be."

A pink flush rose to her cheeks. Then, softly, "I don't see how you could be… I've been nothing but depressed since we met."

Depressed? Perhaps, but in the face of adversity she had proven herself again and again. In the wake of so much violence and misery, in a place where most men would have surrendered, Yori found the strength to keep fighting. He shook his head adamantly. No, Yori was not _depressed_.

"You say you're 'depressed,'" he said, "but all I see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out, and after all that's happened I don't know how you could be unaffected. It doesn't mean you're defective, it just means you're human."

She grew thoughtful for a long moment. Then, "I was only able to keep going because you were there with me."

Already, he was shaking his head again. Carefully, he raised his hands to cup her cheeks, forcing her to look at him as he told her, "I don't believe that. You are stronger than you think, Yori. Your strength of spirit is one of the reasons I've fallen in love with you. And if I hadn't been there, you would have still fought on, if not for yourself than for Yuki or your family or your people."

He removed his hands, using one to capture one of Yori's. He didn´t know how to properly convey his thoughts, but he wanted her to understand how breathtaking she was. And it made him angry, terribly angry, to think of how Kaname had ripped away everything that this girl loved. First, he had chased Yuki from her home, deprived her of her father…and then, as if that wasn't enough, he had obliterated every hope of happiness for a young woman he had never even met, miles away in another kingdom.

But Yori's eyes were clear, calm, composed. Despite all that had happened, she had never ceased to continue forward, to continue on. She had not faltered during each and every trial that they had overcome, and Hanabusa felt as though Yori somehow completed him. Together, it seemed as though nothing could defeat them. It was a feeling the young lord was unfamiliar with, but one that he wanted to cherish.

Normally, Hanabusa had no trouble flirting with women. Yet somehow Yori was different. Although she had told him she loved him, he still hesitated to touch her. He didn't want to hurt her, to push her too far, to demand too much from her. He wanted to treasure each small moment with her as it came. And so, when he leaned forward, his eyes were a question, silently asking permission to continue. The pink flush to her cheeks deepened in color, but she did not pull away, and in the next heartbeat he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips very gently to hers. When their mouths parted, she gave him a shy but reassuring smile.

The auburn-haired noble giggled slightly, "If you want to kiss me, you can, Hanabusa." Then, teasingly, "It's not as though I haven't been kissed before, and not just by you."

"Oh?" He grinned.

"Besides..." She hesitated for a beat, then, "I'd rather you didn't hold back... Every day it seems as though the chances multiply for us to die."

That was true, but he didn't want to abuse the trust she placed in him. More than that, he wanted to savor the chance to grow closer to her, little by little. Having never fallen in love before, the experience was new and one he wanted to fully enjoy. So he shrugged and replied, "If we die we die." Then, leaning in again to steal a second kiss, he murmured, "But first we'll live."

* * *

 **AN:** Just a small note, in case some of you are taken aback by Aidou suddenly all like 'ooo I should marry Yori'- in this kind of medieval setting I'm sure you're all aware of how marriage worked. In most cases, it was a betrothal to someone you'd never even met before, far older or younger than yourself. People led shorter lives in general, and courtships were fairly fast compared to dating nowadays. I don't think it's misplaced for Aidou to want to marry Yori even though they've just confessed. Idk, in my brain it seemed logical. It's rare for noblemen and women to find love, so it seemed natural that he'd want to secure her hand right away rather than 'date' her for a while. #Medievalthoughts


	69. 69 Maria

**MARIA**

Ichiru's funeral was held at dusk. The coffin remained closed under the pretext that the poison had gruesomely contorted the Kiryuu noble's face, although the truth was that his body was still lying comatose on a cot in Shizuka's inner sanctum. Although the ceremony itself was small, Kaname was of course in attendance, as well as some other nobles who wished to gain favor with the Hio house. As the ceremony drew to a close and the final words were spoken, Maria found herself crying once more.

The tears themselves were small, feeble things, sickly like her as they dripped down her nose and fell to the floor. She knew Ichiru was not dead, but his condition was grave and every moment passed by in an anxious shudder. It would be far too simple for him to slip away, one moment drawing breath, and the next... And when Ichiru died, Maria knew her heart would be crushed into nothing. Maybe Ichiru had never returned her love, but he had always looked after her, always had a smile for her, always helped her even if he complained and teased...

All of their moments together, the good and the bad, the short and the long, they folded over into a pinwheel of vivid, flashing bursts, sliding by in a blur of fluttering colors, uncertain and inconstant, yet endlessly repeating in a dream cycle. Gradually, those moments would begin to subside to the granular black and white of distant memories. Maria wanted to hold on to them, but she could not bring them back to life once they were gone. When the Kiryuu noble faded from the world, those moments would, too...

Nobles were beginning to trickle out, their shoes crumpling and strewing flower petals underfoot. The sakura blossoms had been scattered about the coffin as one of the traditional parts of the Hio funeral ceremony, but Maria found them offensive. Their brittle forms muddled the room with pink when it should have been white, or silver. Ichiru was a man of snow, of ice, of platinum. So it was with grim satisfaction that she watched the nobles mutilate the flowers beyond recognition as they exited. Pink was the color of Shizuka's calculating eyes, of a home Maria might never see again, of a name to which she didn't want Ichiru to belong. Yet Ichiru was already lawfully Shizuka's, alive or dead, comatose or awake.

At Maria's parents' funerals, too, the flowers had all been pink. Their innocent faces had witnessed both events, watched as the people had approached to say their farewells. Pink and clean and pure, and Maria had hated those blossoms, despised the way they made everything look so pristine and neat, so orderly and emptily sweet. In reality, they were living emblems of the pink Hio banners that must have covered the mangled corpse of her father and the exhausted one of her mother, body spent on a birth that had been far too difficult for her fragile frame. Those blooms had said nothing, but fed off the tears of the onlookers, flourished as they'd listened to her infant self wailing. At this funeral, however, Maria was forced to stand numbly at the front and center, clenching her fingers in the front of her gown and gritting her teeth, wishing only to escape.

Shizuka was there too, of course. The older woman was the paramount of elegant grief, clad in sheer black silk from head to toe. Maria, beside her, mirrored the flowers, pale and silent and useless. Barely anyone spoke to her. They were too busy whispering condolences to Shizuka in the hopes of garnering the lady's notice. Maria hated them, too, for the way they filed out so passively and neatly, as though nothing had happened. As though a criminal wasn't the king and the city wasn't cowering in fear after a period of intense unrest. The protestors hadn't died neatly. They'd been contorted and twisted and bled and then their bodies had been displayed like prized jewelry. Ichiru's face had been contorted and twisted, too, that fateful night when the king's guard had slipped him the poison...

It wasn't until the end that Kaname approached them. Maria saw him and was immediately stricken with the urgent, desperate need for air. She needed to get away from him, from his ghastly white face and tawdry crown and fake sympathies. His black attire seemed like a blatant insult to Ichiru and to her. Kaname wasn't in mourning, he was in celebration, and the obsidian glimmer in his eye betrayed that fact, although none of the courtesans could see it. Maria thought vaguely that the king should have worn something colorful, something messy, something that would have expressed his neurotic and violent inner self. That, at the very least, would have paid better tribute to Ichiru.

"My Lady Shizuka, My Lady Maria." Kaname bowed to each of them. "I offer you my deepest condolences."

"Thank you," Shizuka told him in a subdued tone. Maria knew it was to convince him of her defeat, but it grated against her skin anyway. "I'm afraid I must apologize for my behavior at the wedding. I was...profoundly disturbed by my groom's loss."

"All is forgiven, My Lady. Certainly, your grief is understandable. I only wish there was something more I could do..."

Unable to help herself, Maria murmured innocently, "Perhaps now a union between our houses would not be remiss?" Let Shizuka stab his heart in their bridal bed.

The Hio girl didn't miss the piercing sideways glance her cousin directed her way, but it was cut off by the slight rise of Kaname's eyebrows. The king seemed amused by this prospect, and then splayed his hands out helplessly, saying, "I'm afraid the time for that has come and gone. I've already sealed an engagement with Lady Tsukiko Aidou. As a consequence of her father's actions, it was rather necessary that we smooth over relations between our houses. I fear conflict may have been inevitable otherwise. Although it is a shame..." Obscure dark eyes met Shizuka's for a moment as he continued, "If you don't mind my saying so, I think you would have been a lovely queen."

Maria didn't miss the twitch at the corner of the king's mouth. He knew exactly who Ichiru was then, and he was mocking them for it. Laughing at them. Laughing at Shizuka's attempt to claim the throne. The girl almost laughed herself. If only he knew what Shizuka had planned for him or why Maria passed so many hours in "meditation." In reality, she was under her cousin's careful tutelage, expanding her powers day by day as she learned to master first the mind of the owl, and then the hunting hounds, and the horses... One day, Shizuka had mentioned, she might even be able to reach into the minds of other human beings.

"Forgive me, My Ladies, but I must excuse myself. Please, take care and let me know if there's anything I can do for you." That said, Kaname left them.

Briefly, Maria's mind darted back to the aforementioned engagement. It was hard for her to believe that the Aidou family had agreed to a marriage between Tsukiko and Kaname, especially given that Kaname was, directly or not, responsible for the deaths of both Lord Nagamichi and Hanabusa Aidou. Then again, Maria doubted the Aidous had much of a choice. No doubt Kaname had forced their hand and Tsukiko had been engaged against her will.

The silver-haired girl remained where she was for a moment, and then, feeling the pressure of the chamber crush down on her lungs, she murmured an apology to Shizuka and moved to the doors. The outside called to her, beckoned with promises of fresh air. Her feet found the doorway and led her out, away from the heaviness and the pink petals and the empty coffin. The breeze was like water, reviving and restoring her. For a moment, she nearly escaped to the mind of a nearby songbird, but then she remembered that doing so would leave her body uninhabited and vulnerable, and began to walk down the path that led back towards the castle instead.

That was the only problem with her newfound powers. Her body became an empty house. Anyone could walk by and thrust a knife through her heart with no resistance. However, it was a small price to pay for the freedom she had attained. She found it increasingly easier to slip in and out of the skins of various creatures. Once, she had even tried to reach Ichiru this way, hoping that the brush of her mind against his might rouse him, but to no avail. The human mind was still far too complex for her to penetrate.

But, how satisfactory it would have been to take Kaname's murderous body. Sometimes, at night, she imagined how she might have him kill himself or step down from the throne. These imaginings were only for her amusement. She did not have the power to do such a thing, and neither was it part of the plan Shizuka had formulated to dispose of the usurper-king.

Actually, Maria thought it seemed far too easy. The only obstacle standing in their way, really, was Seiren. Shizuka was certain the guard was magically trained, and therefore she presented a much greater threat than Kaname himself. However, dealing with the guard could be postponed. For now, it was most important that Maria continued to train to strengthen her mind and her powers. And in the meantime, she would spend every spare moment at Ichiru's side, hoping that somehow, against all the odds, he would open his eyes.

More than anything, she wanted her face to be the first he saw when he awoke.

* * *

 **AN:** Hmmm, what are they planning? Suspense! Any ideas on what their plan will be? What do you think will be the result?


	70. 70 Senri

**AN:** Thank you guys for being so patient. Starting with the next chapter, (Nov 13) we'll resume the weekly schedule. I put myself in gear and managed to finish a bunch of chapters, and not only that, but I actually wrote the bonus chapter I promised. That chapter, titled _Dark Memories_ , will be released as a Christmas special/present...despite it's dark theme, as suggested by the title. Merry Christmas have some darkness? Lol. It features a few characters that some of you have been wondering about: Rido, Haruka, Kaien, and Juri, as well as Shiki's mother. In the meantime before the next chapter, I'll be trying to get even more done so that this whole two-weeks-between-chapters thing doesn't happen again.

Also, thank you guys for being so wonderful and for supporting this fic. I'm so happy to read your reviews. I hope the upcoming chapters don't disappoint!

* * *

 **SENRI**

"I distrust caves," Senri murmured with a touch of apprehension as they stood before the entrance to a cavern tucked into the side of a rocky hill near the Sakaido kingdom. To repay Kaien, the mages had already agreed that they would locate an artifact that Kaien had spoken of long ago. Typical of the king, he had neither given them the precise location of the object, nor told them exactly what it's purpose was. However, his golden-haired companion was not intimidated by a puzzle. Rima had insisted that, judging from the clues which Kaien had left them, what they were searching for lay here in this very cave.

" _A time may very well come when normal methods of victory alone may not be enough for Yuki," Kaien had explained. "If that is the case, I have discovered something of a magical nature that could be of assistance. However, I cannot allow such a thing to fall into the wrong hands. It will be hidden and guarded, a secret which I will only entrust to the two of you…"_

Through a thick layer of resignation towards the task in front of them, Senri felt a twinge of irritation. Everything about magic was shrouded in mystery and vagueness. His visions were so cryptic and disjointed that it was nearly impossible to interpret them, even under the best of circumstances. This object was no different. They could very well be risking their lives to retrieve something useless.

"Kaien had to keep this secret hidden." Rima shrugged nonchalantly, nonplussed by the dark, yawning mouth of the cave. "Is there anything inside?" she asked, lighting a torch with a touch of fire magic.

Expanding his magical senses outward, Senri probed the immediate vicinity. There were a few muted pulses of life: bats, spiders, what seemed to be a rat, but otherwise there was nothing. At least, nothing of flesh and blood. If there was any old magic here, it would remain undetectable, even to him. So he shook his head in denial and Rima gave a grim nod, immediately plunging herself into the cool dark of the cavern.

Senri had no choice but to follow. Years ago, he had decided that wherever Rima went, so would he. Although the cave raised the hairs on the back of his neck, he refused to waver in his decision now. Rima was the one who had given him a home, who had given him a sense of purpose and worth, who had taught him that magic was not something to be feared, as his father would have had him believe; rather, it was a tool that could be used for good just as easily as evil. Certainly, the druids had shown him that despite the ostensibly malevolent character of his magic, he was the one who ultimately decided how it should be put to use.

Descending through winding passages, Senri spared a thought for his father for the first time in months. Years, maybe. Mostly, he preferred to ignore the existence of the lord who had loathed him and burned his mother at the stake, but now, unbidden, the image of that cruel, lined face and those mismatched eyes cropped up once again. After all, despite all of his misgivings, the princess Yuki had chosen to go to his father for aide. Of all people, she had chosen Rido Kuran… He frowned. Perhaps he should have mentioned to Yuki that she was, in fact, his cousin, but it seemed prudent to keep such information from her. What she did not know, she could not mention to Rido, and Senri did not want his father to be reminded of his existence. He did not want to be hunted again or forced to turn his magic against his own kin.

The temperature was dropping gradually and the humidity rising. Around them, the cave grew narrow and damp, although as of yet there was nothing unusual about the rock around them. Moss stretched luxuriously across the ceiling and lonely spiders scuttled across the uneven walls, retreating to their abodes as the mages passed. A strange sensation, a static pressure that buzzed and raised goose bumps against his skin, warned him that there was indeed magic at play in this place, although beyond this prickling force he could distinguish nothing more.

Abruptly, the passage ended in front of them. Rima ran her hands along the rough surface of the walls before nodding to herself and placing her hand flat against the surface in front of them. She closed her eyes in silent concentration, lips moving soundlessly in a mantra that sent vibrations thrumming through the air. Before them, a faint, engraved script flared against the surface of the rock, and then the wall began sliding downward, revealing the continuation of the tunnel, a passage that led to a secret perhaps best left forgotten. The dark chasm before them beckoned, giving off a palpable sensation of animosity.

"Quite disappointing," Rima remarked of the magical ward she had dispelled as they passed through the hidden entrance.

Despite Rima's disappointment, Senri was relieved. More of a challenge would have been troublesome. Focusing outward once more, Senri sought the pulse of other livings things. Here beyond the rock barrier, however, the only pulses that registered were his own and Rima's. He felt relieved and at the same time disturbed. Kaien had mentioned that the knowledge they sought would be guarded. But by what? He could not even begin to guess at the nature of the object, if it was indeed an object that was hidden here. The lack of information left him ill at ease. But then again, Kaien had never been particularly forthcoming with information.

The tunnel ended abruptly in a daunting antechamber with a high, vaulted ceiling that was lost in the dark of the cave. In the center of the room, their objective seemed deceptively simple: a raised dais of stone upon which rested a simple wooden chest. Outward from the dais radiated columns of rock pillars veined with deposits of vibrant gemstones. It was in the chest, Senri supposed, that the object they sought resided. Or perhaps it was a creature. Or an incantation. It could be anything, although judging from the chest, nothing terribly large.

"There is old magic at work here," Rima commented, regarding the dais with a critical eye.

The pair approached and circled the dais without incident. Although they walked quietly, even the slightest rustle of their clothes seemed to resonate throughout the chamber. Rima placed a foot tentatively on the smooth stone surface, and still nothing occurred. In a moment, both mages were standing on the dais, expecting the worst. And still, nothing altered in the slightest. The chest commanded their attention: unadorned, plain, and foreboding. Senri knew the chest would unleash whatever magic had been set here to protect it. He was loathe to risk Rima´s safety, but there was no way to avoid it. With a glance at Rima, his fingers closed around the metal latch sluggishly, reluctantly.

He did not open it. For a moment, the metal burned coldly against his fingers. He took a breath, murmuring, "Rima. When I open this, be prepared for the worst. We may summon dark forces that we do not have the power to combat."

"Kaien wouldn't have sent us for something that was beyond our abilities," Rima assured him.

Senri did not feel comforted. He shook his head. "In the bowels of the earth... In the deep places... You know that old, foul things dwell there...and they are better left undisturbed."

"I don't sense their power here, though," Rima denied, though her brow was furrowed. "We have no choice. And... I don't believe we are deep enough in the earth to risk waking them."

The seer nodded once. "Alright." And then his fingers undid the latch, throwing open the lid of the chest.

A burst of raw power surged from the depths of the box, flinging both mages back off the dais and to the cavern ground. For a moment, Senri could not focus beyond a disjointed tumbling of his thoughts, flooded with light so black it became a void, sucking at his thoughts like a man devouring the last scraps of meat from a bone. When at last his vision settled, he saw a lone figure upon the dais, clad in a hooded cloak that shimmered translucently. As the seer watched, the air rippled across the fabric of the cloak, and Senri could see the cavern beyond through it, as though the figure was nothing more than illusion.

The burgundy-haired man clambered to his feet, tugging Rima up beside him. The figure on the dais was not an illusion, of that Senri was sure. His senses throbbed with danger as the man gazed out from beneath the hood in their direction, scrutinizing them with cold malice that surrounded the seer's nerves with raw ice. Though it should have been impossible, he found that he could discern the features of this creature...this iniquity...from beneath its hood. The stranger's face glowed mistily, as though it were shrouded in fog. Through that fog, Senri saw that where the man's left eye should have been was an empty socket of darkness, a void with a hunger of its own that could never be satiated. The other eye was a rheumatic white, swimming in a sea of dark blood. The contrast of those eyes held a promise of compelling hunger and unquenchable violence. A straight, hawk-shaped nose stood like a rudder for the contradiction of those eyes, focusing them into an impossible and utterly frightening coalition of will. As the cloaked figure brought both eyes into alliance, the physical force of that gaze stunned the Seer, leaving him gasping for air and trembling with trepidation.

"Th-this is..." Rima stammered. Her brow was soaked with sweat and her hands shook.

"Necromancy," Senri finished the sentence. His jaw was nearly locked in place, like his limbs, under the weight of the malignant presence in the room.

The shade moved, its hand flickering and glowing ethereally with a light of its own. The very air seemed to whisper with malice as the phantom drew an elongated, slender blade from its sheath. The blade, like the rest of the figure, reflected the cavern with the transparency of a spirit. The metal of the sword extracted all the light and warmth from the chamber like a vacuum. Senri's breath coalesced before him as though he stood outside on a midwinter's night. As his breath faded away, the shade stepped off the dais, raising its blade as it moved towards them.

"It has no blood, Rima," Senri told his companion with an edge of fear to his tone. "I can't kill the undead."

"I will distract it. You must retrieve whatever is in that chest. Then make for the exit." Her gaze met his grimly.

The seer swallowed, knowing that she was right, yet loathing the fact. He did not like to be in a situation where he was helpless. He could not defend Rima from this monstrosity if it proved to be too powerful and she failed. She would have to stand alone. And while he knew she was stronger than him, while he knew that under normal conditions she would have no need of him, anyway... Still, she was the only thing in this world that he loved, and he did not want to risk losing her.

Magic whispered beside him as Rima swiftly muttered words in a voice too quiet for him to hear. What would she do to keep the wraith at bay? They had no weapons aside from a pair of slim knives. Rima was a druid, one who wielded the forces of nature. She was capable with lightning, but elements like water and wind were still beyond her. And...neither of them possessed any ability to banish the dead. Just as Senri had feared, this task was beyond them.

"Go, now," Rima instructed as she raised her hand, palm forward, in front of her. He felt the molecules of the air vibrate and hum before it.

Senri took off at a run to the left, circling around the pillars with the intention of approaching the chest from behind. From the corner of his eye, he saw the air become agitated, its vibrations continuing, beginning to pulse with sparks of light, and Senri felt a brief rush of pride despite the circumstances. Rima was exceptionally intelligent; even now she was adapting her talents to the situation. This was not lightning, but the similarity was not lost to him. A moment later, and a whiplash of light flung itself forward and struck at the phantom, illuminating the chamber with stark, brilliant light.

The creature screamed. It was a scream that drove the seer to his knees, a scream that burrowed into his brain and blinded him with white-hot pain. The sound was inhuman, like a banshee, overpowering each and every sense and leaving him incapacitated for what felt like an agonizingly long interim, although it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Truly afraid for perhaps the first time in his life, Senri pushed himself to his feet, sprinting around to the back of the dais. Across the chamber, more bursts of light harassed the shade, who was pursuing the druid as she continued to retreat through the aisle of columns.

Unimpeded by the phantom, whose attention was fully focused on Rima, Senri reached the dais easily. The moment he stepped onto the raised stone, however, he could feel his skin grow clammy, his heart pounding as the intensity of that ominous gaze turned back on him. The phantom began moving towards him rapidly, seeming to glide across the floor. In a fit of panic, he stumbled for the chest, knowing each second brought the undead creature ever closer. A flare of bright light stole his vision for a moment, but his hands blindly found the open chest and reached inside, closing around a piece of yellowed parchment which lay folded at the bottom. Hurriedly, he stuffed the parchment into the inside pocket of his shirt. Another shriek reverberated through the cavern, and he cringed against the stone floor, paralyzed once more with the sound of it, the hair on the back of his neck and along his arms standing on end.

Against all of his instincts demanding him to remain in place, the seer forced his senses to recover, standing and shouting, "I've got it!"

All too near, he saw Rima had blocked the ghost's path, light radiating from her fingertips as she fended off the creature. While the brightness flared, the creature shrieked, paralyzed, but as soon as the light faded, the phantom raised the sword. The air hummed darkly, the movement smooth and fast, as the shade brought the razor-sharp edge down upon Rima's head. There was no time to react, to interfere, to save her. What would his blood magic do against a ghost? Nothing. He already knew the answer. Absolutely nothing. Senri cried out a warning, body numbing with horror. Rima... He couldn't lose her like this. But the blade clanged against the floor as a form with golden hair raced towards tunnel which led to the entrance. Another spear of light lanced through the creature as the druid yelled, "Run!"

Seeing the phantom only a few feet away, the moment of intense relief that the druid had avoided the blow was cut short. The seer launched himself at the passage, adrenaline and fear pounding and mixing through his veins. He had never been filled with so much dread. Not when his father had hunted him across hills and through forests. Not when his mother had been burned alive. Nor those first dizzying, sickening moments when he had discovered what it meant to use his magic against another human being. No, this horror ran deeper. It plunged him into ice, into paralysis, into pain. It was the horror of living death, a dark magic that stretched from beyond the grave. It was a magic that none should never have been touched.

Senri was the first to reach the tunnel's mouth. Rima was nearly there, but the wraith was almost upon her, eyes boring straight through her. The ghostly sword was rising again, preparing to strike. The seer shouted a warning, already leaping towards her even though he knew the action was futile; the shade would kill her before he reached them. Rima twisted mid-stride, stumbling to the ground as the air shivered and vibrated once more, igniting the edge of the phantom's luminescent robe ablaze as the creature thrust its blade forward. By that time, Senri was at Rima's side, dragging her to her feet and after him into the passage. The weapon narrowly missed the druid, grazing the seer's arm as another horrific scream pierced the air. The shade's robes were aflame, crackling and spreading until the phantom was engulfed in flame.

The burgundy-haired young man hissed sharply, his arm throbbing with a strange combination of pain and freezing cold that seemed to burn him to his core. A glance at him arm told him that the cut was shallow, barely bleeding, but nevertheless the intense, foreign sensation frightened him. Why had they come here? He desperately hoped that whatever they had retrieved was worth the risk.

"Senri, hurry, we don't have long," Rima urged, and the pair raced through the passage until they reached the threshold which the druid had dispelled to allow them to pass.

Her hands fumbled, found the correct positions against the rock to the side of the opening. "Help me," she said merely, and immediately his hands were over hers, opening a channel of magic between them.

The rock rumbled, groaned, and beside them the entryway began to close. Deep in the recesses of the passage, Senri saw the blazing wraith approaching, but then the rock had shut in place and he was pulling the druid after him, back up towards the light, towards the living.

"I don't think it can follow us beyond the barrier," Rima pointed out reasonably, but still Senri did not wish to pause and risk it. He hoped the creature was sealed within the chamber, though he dared not linger to find out.

Once they staggered out of the cave and into the light of day, he released her arm. "The dead cannot stand under the light of the sun," he whispered, relaxing under the warm rays of the afternoon. Blood oozed from the shallow gash on his arm, which still burned as though he had been scorched by fire, but it was a simple matter to clot the wound. That much, at least, he could do with his magic.

"Are you alright?" Rima asked, laying a hand on his arm.

"Yes." He considered her. "How did you make light out of nothing?"

"It was very similar to lightning or fire... Only, there's no heat. I don't know how to explain it. ...What was in the chest?"

"Only this," he said, drawing the parchment out and handing it to her.

The druid opened the paper, and the pair read the words together:

 _I congratulate you, whomever you should be, for your success. I am sure you have traveled far and fought hard to secure this treasure. However, I regret to inform you that I have seen fit to take over the guardianship of it. Seek me out, if you dare._

 _-YT_

"Impossible," Rima muttered, vexed.

"Kaien must have told someone else besides us..." Senri frowned pensively, perplexed.

"That someone else has come here before us. Someone with the power to defeat necromancy!" Senri saw the infuriation darken her eyes as a wayward bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. The golden-haired druid stamped her foot. "And we came all this way!"

The seer remained quiet for a moment. Rima was angry, yet he felt something akin to grief. To think, he had almost lost the woman he loved...for nothing... He took a small breath, then inquired, "YT... Do you know anyone by those initials? Someone connected to Kaien, perhaps?"

There was a lengthy pause. Then, abruptly, some of the raging electricity died from the air. "Yes," she answered. "Yes, perhaps I do." Her lips upturned slightly, though it was begrudgingly that she told him, "But we will have to travel to the border of Soshiyu to reach him."

Senri sighed, orienting himself north. Regardless of his own opinion, he knew that Rima was going there. And wherever she went, he did too. So his feet were already moving as he said, "Let's go."

* * *

 **AN:** I wanted to expand the magical world a little in this AU, so I decided to throw in some necromancy. Who is YT? What was in the chest? Any ideas? Hehe, tune in next time~


	71. 71 Ruka

**AN:** Don't forget, next week is another chapter! We are back to our regular chapter every Monday!

* * *

 **RUKA**

It was mid-day when they arrived at Sunridge Fort in the Dawn Plains. Not unlike barbarians, most of the people who lived in the plains were more nomadic in nature, and therefore the fort was one of the few proper settlements in the kingdom. The fort itself was rather intimidating, ringed by a thick fence of sharp wooden spikes and protected by an array of pikemen, archers, and cavalry. The Kains had always been a more war-like people than the other kingdoms, who were, in Ruka's opinion, far more civilized.

The noble woman felt herself bristling as they rode through the fort. Although the shops and more important buildings had been constructed from wood, brick, or stone, the majority of the private dwellings were nothing more than crude structures of straw or furs. The streets were unpaved, hard-packed dirt, lined with this hodgepodge of mismatched edifices. Was this supposed to be the capital of the kingdom? The entire city was an insult. What self-respecting noble would choose to live in these conditions? And yet, here she was. She was beginning to regret her decision to come here.

At her home in Lazuki Lakes, Ruka was accustomed to luxury and comfort. Her parents owned a sprawling garden manor at the heart of the city that stood apart from the surrounding buildings for its splendor. As they approached the Kain residence, however, Ruka felt her mouth pinching tightly in dissatisfaction. The stone building that the Kains lived in loomed before them drearily, bland and stark grey against the landscape. It was an eyesore desperately in need of remodeling and a touch of paint. Ruka was only glad that if she married Akatsuki they would be free to own their own land and build a home that was less distasteful...

W _hen_ , she corrected herself mentally. _When_ she married Akatsuki. She wasn't sure how to find a way out of her current situation. Her fingers curled tightly into her palms. She still had not forgiven the red-haired knight for his betrayal, despite all of his attempts to rekindle their friendship. He wasted his stupid kindness on her. She didn't want it. If Akatsuki truly valued her as a friend, he would release her from the engagement. To Ruka, it mattered little that doing so could irreparably damage the relations between their kingdoms and families. Her freedom and free will were worth any cost.

The nobles reached the inner lawn of the manor and dismounted. At least Akatsuki had procured mounts for them shortly after leaving the capital so that they didn't have to schlep their way across the Dawn Plains like a pair of penniless vagabonds. Unsurprisingly, although disappointingly, Kaname had not so much as sent out a search party for them. Their journey had been entirely boring and uneventful. Ruka supposed she should be grateful, but it was difficult to ignore Akatsuki when his conversation was all that stood between her and perpetual, mind-numbing boredom.

"Well met, little brother!" a low voice called cheerfully, and Ruka saw a man who was unmistakably Akatsuki's brother step up to greet them, immediately pulling the knight into a rough hug.

Kan Kain was every inch a Kain, tall and broad-shouldered with handsome, rugged features that clearly demonstrated his relation to Akatsuki. Unlike his little brother, he wore a short, well-groomed red beard that gave him a more authoritative demeanor. Side by side, Ruka could see that Kan was an inch or two taller than Akatsuki, and a bit rougher featured with a wide nose that seemed to have been broken on more than one occasion. Most unfortunately, he was dressed in simple linen that hardly reflected his status as the Lord of his House. The only adornments that clearly demonstrated his social status were the Kain family ring he wore on his left ring finger and the simple bronze circlet about his brow. Despite his less than impressive wardrobe, however, his eyes were sparkling to see his brother.

"Well met." Akatsuki grinned back. "It's been too long."

"And this must be the fair Lady Ruka." Kan turned to her now, giving her a deep bow and taking her hand to give it a brief kiss. As he spoke, a pair of servants seemingly descended from thin air to take their mounts, presumably leading them to the stables. "My Lady, you are every bit as lovely as I have heard."

She stiffened, feeling inexplicably offended. Was that all Akatsuki had said about her? That she was _lovely_? That was obvious. Did he have no further compliments for her, then? Holding back her irritation, she kept her face composed as she replied, "Thank you, My Lord."

"You are most welcome here. I know that you are not officially a member of our humble family yet, but nevertheless you will be treated as such. We wish you to be very comfortable and happy here." He gave her a wink, which caused her to tense again with displeasure. Every aspect of this little visit was exactly the opposite of what she had wanted or imagined.

"You are very kind," she merely said, lowering her eyes in a gesture she hoped might end their conversation.

"And this is my Lady Kyoko," Kan introduced, extending his hand to help his very pregnant wife as she moved to stand beside them.

Ruka's eyes quickly calculated the caliber of Lady Kain. She was slightly plump young woman with green eyes and wavy brown hair that was tied back into a simple braid. She was neither pretty nor ugly, with a round chin and brooding, thick eyebrows. The Souen noble smirked inwardly. If her competition here at the fortress was of Kyoko's caliber, Ruka would more than stand out as the gem of the city in no time at all. That was, at least, one positive aspect of staying at Sunridge Fort.

And, furthermore, it came as a relief to see that Kyoko was pregnant with her second child. The first child of Kan and Kyoko, she knew, was a toddler no more than a year and a half old, and therefore was not present to greet them. Ruka had no interest in governing the Dawn Plains. When Kan and Akatsuki's father had passed, Kan had taken on the title of Lord Kain. Ruka had been somewhat worried that Akatsuki might inherit the position as well, but that seemed a very distant possibility, given the very full circle of Kyoko's stomach. It was cold comfort, however, when she thought of living in the Plains her entire life in a marriage she had no interest in.

"A pleasure." Ruka curtsied.

Akatsuki gave his sister-in-law a gentle hug and asked, "How are you? It's been a while."

"Well, pregnant, obviously," Kyoko told him teasingly, "but quite well!" Then, scolding, she added, "You should visit home more often!"

The knight smiled sheepishly. "I'm here now." A brief pause, then, "Where's Mother?"

"She's inside," Kan replied. "At the moment, she's trapped in a meeting with General Igarashi. As soon as she can escape, she'll come to see you, I'm sure. We've all been excited to see you and to meet Lady Ruka."

"Although we imagine you must be very tired," Kyoko added.

"Come on in," Kan bade them, and Ruka followed him into the front door of the manor.

For a brief moment, the honey-haired young woman dared to hope that the inside of the manor would prove her original assessment wrong. Predictably, it did not. The front foyer was wide and bare, lined with a few suits of armor and a huge map of the Nine Kingdoms. Their footsteps echoed rather hollowly through the space as they stepped into its center. Despite her own misery, she saw Akatsuki visibly relax, his lips broadening into a smile. At least one of them was pleased. She knew it wasn't her. The thought resonated bitterly in her chest.

"If you're feeling up to it, I'd love if we could meet for supper and chat," Kan said.

"Yes," Akatsuki agreed at once. "There is much to discuss, and I fear little of it is good, although that can wait until another day. I'm sure you're aware of the situation in the capital... I will not elaborate now, but there is more you must know."

"Very well. We'll dine together this evening and find a time to discuss these matters at length..." Lord Kain's eyes had darkened perceptibly, mouth drawing into a serious line.

To lighten the mood, Kyoko clapped her hands and a pair of servants materialized instantly. Ruka was ever so slightly impressed with their prompt and soundless appearance. "Kei, Hikari, if you would accompany Lord Akatsuki and Lady Ruka to their rooms?"

Immediately, the skinny servant on the right snapped to attention. "Right this way, m'lady," the serving girl bid Ruka cheerfully, gesturing for the noblewoman to follow her.

With a scornful look about the passageway and a curtsy to Kan and Kyoko, Ruka followed the girl, feeling her skin crawl with the lack of beauty here in the manor. There were no tapestries, no paintings, no sculptures. The windows were narrow, letting in only a thin filter of dusty air. This place had been built for defensive purposes rather than comfortable living, and although Ruka was sure that it would have met her standards in the heat of battle, it did little to assuage her as a residence.

"Just here," the servant announced, opening a wooden door to their right. "When we received word from Lord Akatsuki that you were coming we immediately sent word requesting your things to be brought here. The message we received told us they were en route but we shouldn't expect them to arrive for another few days. In the meantime, we've put together a temporary wardrobe for you."

Ruka stepped inside and surveyed the chamber, which was in rather dire straits. In one corner was an old, carved four-post bed fitted with pale green linens. The bed itself was alright, she supposed, although she would have preferred something less ancient. To the right was a breakfast table and chairs and a vanity table, all matching the bed in terms of age. On the far wall was a wardrobe and a chest of the same variety. It looked like a scene from her grandmother's childhood, utterly lacking in modern style or any real splash of color. Fortunately, Ruka did not plan on staying here long. As soon as the fighting died down between her family and the Toumas she would return home straight-away. The sooner the better.

"Does it please m'lady? Everything here really is so lovely, like yourself," the girl chirped, her words, unbeknownst to the servant, causing the honey-haired noble's stomach to churn in horror and derision. She didn't want to be compared to this complete failure of a bedroom. It would have been more accurate to say that she was a butterfly, exquisite and beautiful, thrown inside an empty, dirty jar.

Ruka threw a cursory sideways glance at the serving girl, who was standing at eager attention. She pursed her lips. How could anyone feel comfortable here in such appalling conditions? The idea was disgruntling. Did these people accept them out of ignorance or because they simply didn't care? More to the point, how could anyone expect others to find their dingy living conditions palatable? Ruka certainly did not have anything but contempt for her surroundings or the people who resided in them.

"Where do you come from? The Dawn Plains?" Ruka asked, feigning interest as she more closely inspected the dismal room, running her hand along the top of the breakfast table to check for dust.

The girl beamed, opening her mouth and taking a deep breath for what Ruka assumed would be a very excited response. "I come from a very small village-"

The Souen noble cut her off coldly, "Oh wait. I just realized I don't care."

The servant looked as affronted as though she'd been slapped.

"You're dismissed," she continued ruthlessly, much to the girl's dismay.

"Of...of course, M'lady..." And she ducked out with a hurried curtsy.

When the door had shut, Ruka turned to the window beside the bed. The green curtains had been drawn to the sides and the window opened to let in fresh air and sunlight, although the room wasn't nearly as luminous and airy as her chambers in the castle had been. Moving to stand directly in front of it, Ruka saw that the portal overlooked a tiny herb garden within a small courtyard. She was able to at least glimpse the sky, but the view was rather disappointing, as was literally every other aspect of the place.

Scowling, she moved to sit tiredly in one of the chairs that ringed the breakfast table. It wasn't as though she was entirely ungrateful for the Kains' hospitality, but rather that she struggled to find anything here that met her standards. As she remembered from her history lessons, the Kains had always been nomadic; fierce horsemen that lived off the land and raided other kingdoms for goods rather than settle down to plant crops and breed livestock as any cultured people would have done. Of course, that was long ago, and now they had begun building cities and farms, but their barbaric roots remained apparent.

Most of all, she was frustrated with her lack of options. She had been incapable of winning Kaname's attentions and then her second choice of husband had gotten himself killed before she had even been able to express an interest. Her parents had tried to betroth her to Rido Kuran of all people, and then, without any forewarning, she had been locked into a sudden and binding engagement to Akatsuki. Her fingernails tapped on the table top in a rhythm of irritation.

Naturally, it was not the worst possible outcome, but neither had she been given any time to consider or become acclimated to the situation before it had been finalized. Akatsuki was kind and he had always been a good friend to her, of course, but neither had she ever felt the type of attraction for him that she felt for Kaname. And then, he had betrayed her by not uttering a single word of this potential engagement... Perhaps they weren't close friends after all...

A firm knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," Ruka beckoned with a sigh, standing.

The person who entered the chamber was not one that the noblewoman had been expecting. The woman who stepped through the threshold was obviously noble and had obviously been quite a beauty in her youth. Now, she was striking in a more refined, mature way that gave her an air of elegance. The creases around her mouth and eyes were soft and told of more days passed in happiness than worry. After a moment, Ruka recognized her by her vivid blue eyes and golden hair as the lady Akira Kain, Lord Nagamichi´s sister and Akatsuki´s mother.

Immediately, Ruka sank into a curtsey. "My Lady."

The older woman smiled, giving a small curtsey as well. "I see you know me. Well met, Ruka. It is truly a pleasure to host you here in our home."

"Thank you," Ruka murmured, remaining on her feet as she said, "Please, sit."

A pause. The Kain noble approached the table but did not take one of the proffered seats. "I sense you are ill at ease here." Lady Akira raised an eyebrow at Ruka, assessing the younger woman keenly. "You do not like my son?" Much like her brother, Lady Akira wasted no time on small talk.

The Souen noble blinked, shaking her head. "Akatsuki is a dear friend of mine," she told the older woman truthfully. "It is not a question of like or dislike."

"Then, what is it?"

Ruka could see she had peaked Akira's interest. Carefully considering her words, she smoothed a crease in her skirt and then replied, "Forgive me. It is only that I wish to choose my husband for myself..."

Lady Akira smiled then, a touch sadly. "Unfortunately, in this world for noblewomen such as ourselves, such a choice is a dream that most can never hope to attain. I certainly did not choose to wed my husband, but I came to love him just the same. He was a good man, and I don't say this only because he is my son, but Akatsuki is a good man, too. He will cherish you."

"I know that," Ruka said with a slight, haughty toss of her head.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. You must take the time to enjoy yourself and allow yourself to find happiness in each moment. It is discouraging to realize you are powerless to choose your future, but you are the only one in control of your happiness."

"Why shouldn't I have the power to decide my future?" the Souen noble demanded. It was entirely unfair. Her brothers were the heirs of Lazuli Lakes, not her, so it was their marriages that mattered rather than hers. And although her parents had bided their time in hopes that perhaps she could have secured Kaname's hand, as soon as that possibility had faded they had taken the privilege away from her.

"Indeed," Lady Akira responded with a sparkle in her ice-blue eyes. "It is thinking such as yours that will shape the future. However, for now, you must put aside your pride and do what is necessary for your family and your House. Furthermore, I do not think you will find a better husband than my son. He already cares deeply for you, and that is far more than what most noblewomen have even after decades of marriage."

"Perhaps," Ruka allowed, though she still felt sour and sulky inside. Then, "Though I must say he took me by surprise with the sudden engagement."

Akira had the audacity to laugh. Ruka glared at her, offended, until the noblewoman said, "My brother was responsible for that. He has always been quick to settle matters and I suppose he felt it was his duty as an uncle to engage his nephew, since Akatsuki's father has passed." She sobered then, the corners of her mouth pinching with sorrow. "It was his last act..."

"Akatsuki didn´t request the marriage?" she queried, holding her features into a cool, composed mask even while a twinge of regret gnawed at her heart. Perhaps she had been too harsh to the knight…

"No, unfortunately my son has been rather lax with the matter of his own marriage." An exasperated expression flitted across Akira´s face. "I believe the servant has informed you, but we have requested your things to be sent from the capital. Is there anything you require in the meantime?"

She did, in fact, want quite a few things. To be released from the engagement, to return to her quarters in Ashgate, to have the power to choose her own husband… However, none of these things seemed possible at the moment, so instead she merely gave a shake of her head and said, "No, thank you."

"In that case, I will leave you. I´m afraid there are many matters which require my attention. A servant will be along shortly to see about drawing a bath."

Ruka curtsied as the older woman took her leave, then returned to her seat, pensive. Maybe she owed the red-haired knight an apology... But at the same time, he hadn't exactly helped her fight this engagement. Nor did he seem to be as discontent as she was. So perhaps not.

Her fingers rose to rub her temples. For the time being, she would occupy herself with perusing the wardrobe and writing home, although she wasn't entirely convinced these primitive people didn't use something outdated, ugly, or illogical like vultures to carry the mail. After that, well, she would have no choice but to wait out the conflict between her family and the Toumas. It was going to be a very, very long next few weeks, of that she had no doubt.

* * *

 **AN:** I know many of you were expecting to read about Rukain's travels, but Kain lives in the neighboring kingdom to the capital and enough time has elapsed since we last saw Rukain that they would already have arrived, especially on horseback. Anyway, I think Zeki/Aidori are doing more than enough traveling for everyone, LOL. Next week, we return to our main 4!


	72. 72 Yori

**AN:** Strap in for a long chapter ;)

* * *

 **YORI**

Yori sighed gratefully as she and Hanabusa passed into the borders of the next town. She dismissed the brief curiosity that wondered which town it was. It scarcely mattered where they were now. Tomorrow, they could be one step closer to Seagate, or fifty steps further away. She pursed her lips. Considering the luck that followed her more loyally than any pet, Yori had decided she couldn't really count on anything. Facts had become probability, probability a risk and a gamble.

Her steps slowed to a stop as hazel eyes fell on a thin vine of blue and pink flowers that twined around the corner of the building roof closest to her. A pang contracted her heart for a moment, remembering how her stepmother had loved these in particular and grown them on a bower outside her window... At least within these blooms something of her stepmother still lived, small and beautiful and untouched by the otherwise melancholic atmosphere of the town.

Glancing further around the town, Yori was struck by two things: first, the buildings were rather derelict and despondent, in urgent need of repair. And, second... She sighed, putting a hand on her hip. The village women had already found Hanabusa. Currently, two young beauties were accosting him with exaggeratedly shy hellos and suggestive glances. To the knight's credit, he was using the situation to their advantage...or at least trying.

"Excuse me, could you direct me to the inn?" Hanabusa asked, charm dripping from every inch of him as he fixed the two young women with a disarming gaze and a manufactured smile.

There was a tangible pause as both women assessed the knight, eyes sweeping down his figure and back up again before one smiled coyly, stepping closer to him and speaking from beneath thick, lowered lashes, "Well, I'm afraid the inn is closed...but..."

The second woman touched his arm invitingly, "We certainly wouldn't mind sharing our bed..."

Yori controlled an eye roll, joining them now as she wrapped her arms around the knight's waist and informed them cheerfully, "That would be lovely. It's been a while since my husband and I had a proper night's sleep."

"Sorry...the bed isn't big enough...," the first woman replied disdainfully, barely offering the Wakaba noble a glance.

A heavy pause crackled through the air. Then, "Well...we're in the red house. You know where to find us if you get bored." The second woman winked and then the pair sauntered off.

Yori moved away from Hanabusa, shaking her head. She thought she saw his lips twitch, but he only asked, "Don't tell me you were jealous?"

"Hardly," she scoffed. "Mostly in disbelief they'd still make you an offer even if you were married." Without thinking, she had automatically jumped back to the lie they had used before, even if, as before, it had little effect.

He shrugged, winking. "Can you blame them?"

She couldn't stop her eyes from rolling this time.

"Pardon, but are you looking for a place to stay?" a cracked voice asked from behind them.

Startled, Yori turned to see a small, hunched old man. Despite his wrinkled, spotted skin and deep frown, his eyes smiled. He supported himself on a cane carved from a gnarled tree branch and his lips moved, pursing and unpursing in an endless cycle although he merely waited for their response.

"Yes," Hanabusa told the man honestly. "But it seems the inn is closed..."

"We don't get a lot of visitors, you know? After all the brigand raids and the diseased crops last year. Kaoru shut down the inn last winter, and one of the farmers renovated it for his crops."

Yori didn't ask who Kaoru was. She felt very tired to realize she would be sleeping on the ground again. That said, the old man turned to leave, hobbling down the road. A sigh perched on her lips, but she held it off, resigning herself. What was one more night on the ground? They all faded one into the next.

After a moment, the man turned and smacked his cane against the dirt road. "Are you coming?" The confusion must have demonstrated itself clearly upon their faces, because he immediately rubbed his head and mumbled, "I did say that didn't I? Right?" Then, addressing them again, he said, "You can stay in my son's room, come on."

Quickly, the two nobles joined the old man as he shuffled down the road. "Are you sure that's alright?" Yori asked.

"Yes, yes, quite sure," the man replied now in an almost disgruntled tone. "Inn's closed. Haven't had company for years."

"Well, thank you. We greatly appreciate it," Hanabusa told the stranger genuinely. "I'm Hansa."

"And I'm Yori," the Wakaba noble told him, opting for her real name this time. She doubted a villager in Sakaido would know her by anything other than Sayori Wakaba anyhow, if that.

"Oh yes. I'm Jin. My son was Rin but he and Temari were killed in that bandit raid, you know the one? The big one, a long time ago. The baby, too..."

Yori bit her lip, fingers pressing into the palm of her hand. Another tragedy, like so many others she had seen or survived herself. If she ever did see Yuki again, she had to tell her. If Yuki became the queen, she should know... The villagers needed better lives...needed security... Of course, Sakaido was not the Virid Wood... In other places, life was better, she knew. But it pained her to think anyone lived with such hardship, fear, and grief, every day. If Yuki was the queen, surely she could do something. Surely she would have the power to improve their lives, if only a little bit.

"I live just over here." A crooked finger indicated a narrow, two-story house that appeared to be nearly as old as the man himself. Some of the roof was missing and had been thatched with straw, and the garden outside had withered away, but it was a roof and four walls, and Yori was very grateful for that much.

"I used to be the mayor," Jin explained, "so I got this house, you know? But Serinuma died and then Rin and Temari and the baby and I didn't use the space. Kaoru was mayor after that, and did you know his horse Lacy ate every one of my prize turnips?"

By this point, they had reached the house. Hanabusa held the door for the old man and the three of them entered. Inside, the front room was a large kitchen and dining room organized around a small table in the center. To the left were a few chairs huddled about the fireplace as well as a cot, and behind this was a staircase that led upstairs. Yori assumed the man slept downstairs due to his health and age. The old man hobbled over to a fire pit at the back of the room. A large black pot was nestled over a small fire, and when the man removed the lid lazy streamers of steam drifted upwards, bringing the scent of food to Yori's nostrils.

"I did put the carrots in, right? And the cabbage?" Jin was mumbling distractedly to himself.

Then, seeming to remember them quite suddenly, he turned, saying, "Oh, you're still here. There's a washroom here..." He shuffled to a small closet to the right and opened the door, revealing the washroom. A small shelf to one side of the closet was stocked with towels and soap. A pump within revealed how water came into the house. "And the room you can use is upstairs. Can't go up there now because of my knees. But Sumia comes to clean every week, you know? There's some clothes up there, might be your size."

"Thank you," Yori and Hanabusa told him, and excused themselves while they went to see their accommodations.

"You can bathe first," the knight told her as they climbed the stairs. "I'll see if Jin needs any help with dinner."

"Okay," she agreed with a nod.

Stepping off the top stair, Yori noted that there was only one door before her. She supposed that Jin's son and his family had lived elsewhere. Certainly, when she opened the door the room was small and humble, although cozy and well-lit from windows set into three of the walls. There was only one bed, but Jin _had_ overheard her saying she and Hanabusa were married, and even if he hadn't, she didn't mind. The thought of having a mattress again after sleeping on the ground the past few nights nearly sent her into palpitations of joy.

"Thank you, thank you," Hanabusa said, echoing her sentiments as he flopped onto the bed with a groan.

"That's your side now." Yori eyed his unwashed clothes. She sighed as the knight hugged a pillow. "And that's your pillow."

"Go take your bath," he bade her, gazing dreamily at the pillow he was holding.

"I'm afraid to now. You're going to roll over the whole bed like that." She poked his leg, shaking her head as she passed to rummage through the dresser for a shirt and pants that might fit her. Before long, she had a fresh set of clothes draped over her arm.

"You know this pillow was hand-made?" he answered instead with a question.

"I'm taking my bath," she declared, turning around so she didn't have to witness the bedroom horror unfolding before her eyes.

When she descended the staircase, Jin was still hovering over the pot, so Yori slipped past him to the washroom. It was a cramped space, but she was grateful for it all the same. And, despite the lack of arm or leg room, it felt good to at last be clean. After she bathed, she toweled dry and changed, though she was unsure what to do with the used linens. She stepped out of the room a little uncertainly, to see Jin at the table slicing some bread. Beside him, Hanabusa was setting out bowls and spoons.

"What should I do with these?" Yori asked, holding up the damp towel and dirty clothes.

"Oh, they go just there," Jin replied, indicating a large wicker basket into which she dropped the items.

"My turn," Hanabusa said once he had set out the last spoon, picking up a set of clothes that she saw he had left on a chair for himself. As he passed her to enter the washroom, he paused, stopping her as he kissed her cheek gently and whispered into her ear, "I rolled over your side of the bed."

Irritation and affection spiked through her chest, causing her to snort and then roll her eyes for the second time that day. A laugh made its way from her lips as the washroom door shut behind the blond knight. Some of the heaviness of fatigue eased its grip over her heart, and she moved to the table to see if Jin needed any assistance with supper.

"Do you need any help?" she asked, to which the man shook his head.

"No, that's all we need. Did we put the bowls out? Yes? Well then, that's all." He nodded, then sat down slowly in his chair at the end of the table. Yori fought the urge to help him and instead sat down by his side.

"I like seeing couples, you know," Jin told her. "You know...I thought I'd never have children but we were so lucky to have Rin... He didn't have the same problems my wife and I had. He and Temari got pregnant right away, though the baby wasn't born yet, when..." He trailed off helplessly, the wince of his features telling the story of what had happened to them more eloquently than words.

Yori swallowed. She didn't need another reminder of how quickly everything one loved could be lost...

"I hope you don't have any problems?" Jin asked then, much to Yori's embarrassment.

She flushed, though still answered seriously, "No... I don't think so." Then, as an afterthought, she added as explanation, "We haven't been married for long."

"Well it doesn't take long," the old man remarked blithely, oblivious to her discomfort.

Yori's cheeks grew hotter, but she ignored it. This man was lonely, his children and wife were dead... The least she could do was humor him. And, anyway... Her eyes wandered to the washroom briefly. Why did their marriage have to be a lie..? She loved Hanabusa. She had never given it thought, but who else would she even consider marrying? Except...his family might be opposed to such a match, especially now that The Vale was destroyed...

Breaking herself away from such thoughts, she inquired, "You mentioned prize turnips. Did you garden?"

Jin nodded. "Not anymore, though. Not with my knees, you know? Now Sumia brings me produce from her garden. But I used to have quite the green thumb. Did I tell you that? I did tell you that, didn't I?"

"You also said you were the mayor. Who's mayor now?"

"That's Nori. She's a good woman, though I might be a little biased since she's Serinuma's sister."

The conversation ambled along until Hanabusa emerged from the washroom. He joined them at the table immediately after depositing his towel and dirty clothes in the bin, offering to serve supper so that Jin did not have to get out of his seat.

"Oh no, I haven't had guests in a while. Let me," the old man insisted, and with that stood to show that he was capable.

"What is it?" Yori asked curiously, eyeing the pot.

"It's a soup recipe I perfected many years ago. It's got a great many vegetables," Jin told them, ladling some into each of the bowls. "But it's also got rabbit meat. That's the secret."

Yori's stomach rumbled hungrily on cue. The old man chuckled, sitting back down and indicating that they could begin to eat. Without further adieu, the girl began to consume the meal, going slow only because the temperature of the soup prevented her from swallowing it in one gulp. Jin seemed surprised but pleased by their appetites and offered them more, which the pair quickly ate.

"Seems like maybe it's been a while since you two had a good meal," Jin commented.

Hanabusa nodded, inventing a reason without any prompting. "We lived on the northern border of Lazuli Lakes before. Some of Yori's family are farmers here in Sakaido and they offered us a place on their farm after we wed so we've been traveling for a while."

"That's quite a journey. Reminds me of myself when I was your age... Serinuma and I had to start a life with our own hands, too. It's wasn't easy, but we did it."

"No, it won't be easy, but we have her family to help us," the knight responded, taking a bite of his soup.

How different things might have been, Yori wondered, if the two of them had met like that. If they had met in a small town as peasants rather than nobility. Would they have still fallen in love? Would they have still been met with so much misfortune at every turn? She didn't know the answers, but she liked to think life might have been simpler that way.

It wasn't long after dinner that the nobles excused themselves. Both were tired, and Yori knew the morning would come too soon. Once they were upstairs, Hanabusa made an immediate bee-line for the bed, laying down on one side and rubbing his eyes tiredly. Yori lay down beside him, savoring the comfort of the mattress. Once, she had taken beds for granted. Now, however... She closed her eyes wearily. Now, she took nothing for granted. Not one breath, not one bite of food, not one person she crossed paths with. Everything was precious and fragile.

Melancholy swelled through her chest. She was here now, with Hanabusa only a few inches away after having a good meal with a kind man, but... But, tomorrow, it might be taken from her. Jin had reminded her how fleeting life was. His son had been happily married and expecting his first child and then, in an instant, it had been erased. At one time, Yori knew Jin would have been surrounded by friends and family, but now his family was gone. And even if she and Hanabusa were able to stay together, even if they did marry or even have children, it could all be cut short without warning.

Pressure crushed down on her ribcage. Abruptly, she needed to hear the sound of Hanabusa's heart again, just to reassure herself that today, just today, he was still here. Without a word, she pressed against his side, leaning her head against his chest. He moved his arm, wrapping it around her to allow her to come close. Immediately, the comforting pulse of his heartbeat flooded through her ear, drumming faster in reaction to her unexpected action. The sound calmed her. Anchored her. Yes, like this... Like this, she felt whole, safe, and happy. It was dangerous to love, dangerous to need something so easily broken like a human life, but... She didn't want to stop.

She wasn't sure how much time passed, holding him like that. Her whole body felt warm, grounded and relaxed. She could still hear his heart beating against her ear, although with a slower rhythm now. After a while, her fingers grew curious and traced up his chest to his collar bone and then down his side, memorizing each line, every detail that stood out against the fabric of his shirt. In return, she could also feel his thumb running along the length of her spine. She closed her eyes, floating in the tranquil darkness, relinquishing every thought except that she wanted this to continue forever. The knowledge that it could not continue only made it more sweet, though it also tinged this time with a metallic, tangy bitterness for its brevity.

Yet, no doubt or sadness could eclipse the poignancy of being able to simply hold Hanabusa like this. She had never been this physically close to anyone, and it brought with it a new strangeness that intrigued her, comforted her, and made her heart flutter a little faster with a faint, undeniable electricity. This physicality reminded her that despite how near she had come to losing him forever, he was still there with her. He was still here, though for how long she didn't know. That haunting thought emboldened her to learn more of him, to commit each rib to memory as she worked her way down to his stomach and around to his hip. She didn't want to forget even one cell of his body.

And then, realizing belatedly just what she was doing, she found that he was close, far too close. The heat from his body was hypnotizing her, calling her to draw even closer. For a moment, she pressed her ear harder against his chest, shutting her eyes until her awareness narrowed to that one sound. But when the moment passed, she could acutely feel his fingers brushing over the outline of her shoulder blades, the stirring of his breath against her hair… She held back a shudder. Her heart was beginning to pound and she fought to pacify it. Surely he could hear it, too, the way it was pulsating through her ears. And surely he could feel it, held this tightly against her. She could certainly feel every slight tremor of his body this way.

She sat up abruptly, forcing herself to break off her current train of thought. She shouldn´t be thinking like this. But, there was the cotton texture of his shirt, the faint smell of soap from his bath, and more than anything the warm, steady beat of his heart. Longing vibrated through her harshly, and she took another breath to steady herself. She closed her eyes, letting the silence to settle over her like dust. She shouldn't need anything more than this, not when this alone was more than she had ever thought to have after that fateful day in The Vale.

But, Jin had made her think of a possible future with this knight. And tomorrow might snuff out their fragile, transient lives. Tomorrow, the heartbeat that anchored her might be stopped forever. Tomorrow, her own life might be torn to shreds and scattered to the winds. And if her life was drawing to its close… If this journey was the end of her, the end of everything… If she were to die, she would give him the final, small breath of her heart. Selfish though it might have been, she didn't want to hold anything back anymore, because this rare lull between perils and running might never come again.

She tried, but it seemed she could not deny his nearness, the feeling of his skin, his warmth and breath and the soft sound of his voice that thrummed through her ears as he sat up, invoking her name. She shivered at the sound. His presence rippled outwards through her veins like a toxin she could not chase away; poisoning her thoughts, her heart, her sensibility. It was a feeling entirely foreign to her, and yet…one she could not dismiss.

Suddenly, his eyes submerged her vision in vibrant blue radiation, immeasurably deep. His hand found her cheek, fingers discovering the gentle curve of her ear. She could palpably feel the tenderness transmitted in that gesture as though it was inscribed in his fingertips. Mesmerized, the slightest sigh left her. She felt her lips tremble, intoxicated and paralyzed all at once, unable to express the depth of emotion that touched her while at the same time desperately needing to convey it.

There was a transitory pause where time seemed to stand still, locked by his eyes, and then she felt the brush of his lips against hers, soft and warm and exactly what she'd been craving. This kiss would only last the barest of seconds, she was sure, but all the same she felt her eyes fall shut, surrendering her senses completely to this moment. Her heart was twining itself in knots, weaving something heavy in her chest. And when his lips left hers, she felt that heavy something constrict brutally. It wasn´t enough. It wasn´t nearly enough. She didn't want the moment to end yet. She wanted more of him. Because this newfound love might not have a tomorrow. It had only a _now_ , and even that now might be stolen at any minute.

And then, within the span of that heartbeat and her crushing realizations, she felt his lips push against hers a second time, splintering apart any boundary that was left between them. His fingers tangled in her hair, bringing her closer. He kissed her a third time, more passionately, and she gave a small gasp of surprise. Her gasp gave him an opening and she felt his tongue slide hotly into her mouth, caressing against her own and making her breath hitch. Shuddering, she let one hand clench itself against his shoulder, the other twining around his neck as she immersed herself in the unexpected pleasure of this moment. The desire she'd been fighting to keep bottled in was beginning to bubble to the surface, and she recognized the danger but was unwilling to stop it. Because for this one moment, Hanabusa was completely hers.

He kissed her again, kissed her until she couldn't breathe and had to break away for air. Even then, his breath ragged, chest heaving against hers, he didn't stop, kissing the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her neck, before claiming her lips once again. It was heaven and hell, all at once, and her mind spun so violently that she couldn't latch onto a coherent thought. His tongue stroked harder against hers, and she made a soft sound, feeling as if her heart might shatter in her chest, fracturing out into her veins. Her fingers left his shoulder, tightening in his hair and loving the soft texture against her skin. Her other hand dared to explore the expanse of his smooth skin beneath the material of the shirt, moving past the tight skin of his stomach, past his ribs, and back to where she could feel the quickening pace of his heart in the palm of her hand. She felt as though she were at last waking up after a long sleep, her body humming with life and demanding more and more of him.

Then abruptly, the knight stopped, catching his breath as he pulled back, his eyebrows drawing together as his eyes searched hers desperately. He shook his head, seeming to read her thoughts immediately and entirely as he whispered roughly, "We should stop." He slowly removed her hands, though for a long beat he didn't release them.

Her body reacted in a violent rejection of his words as she shook her head almost angrily. Why should they? She didn't want to stop. Stopping gave the world a chance to catch up with them, a chance to strike them down, though she also knew he was right, but… But…when she lost herself in his eyes, she could feel the blue of his eyes consuming her, corrupting her, biting her nails down to the quick. She was being drug into an inundation of blue embraces.

No. After everything she had lost, after everything that was burned to ash…she had only him. And she wanted only him. She heard herself pronouncing the words before she was even conscious of her lips moving. "We should."

He was distancing himself, forming a protest that she could visibly see climbing up his throat. She already knew everything he would say, but she didn´t want to hear such empty, meaningless notions when every passing second threatened to end their lives. So she leaned up, taking his face in her hands as she murmured beseechingly with all of the sorrowful, urgent aching that overwhelmed her heart, "Please."

He paused, taking in the liquid, golden hazel of her eyes which regarded him with unveiled yearning, and gradually the crease between his brows faded. Leaning forward again, he let his lips brush gently against hers, as soft and undemanding as the touch of a falling leaf. Then, with subtle pressure, he kissed her again, sweetly this time, carefully. She smiled, unable to quell the sudden wave of love that rushed over her. Truly…truly she didn´t want to be with anyone else.

And little by little, their kisses began to alter until his mouth was pressing against hers; a hot demand that sent fire rippling through her entire body. He pulled her closer until she could feel his body taut against hers. Every nerve was exploding with sensation. Her fingers twined through his hair as she gave herself over to him, shivering in ecstasy and anticipation. How she wanted _this_ , to forget everything except him, even if only for a little while. And now…now…her senses were blurring together. It was so much, so fast. She was losing herself to his lips, and hands, and…

...And for the first time in weeks she didn´t feel the sharp edges of grief pinching through her bones.

* * *

 **AN:** -points towards the review box- shhh, it knows. It knows you wanna leave one. -tiptoes away-


	73. 73 Maria

**MARIA**

Nodding politely to the guards who had opened the set of mahogany doors for her, Maria wondered vaguely again why she had come. She did not have any official business with Tsukiko Aidou, particularly not hours before the girl's wedding, but somehow she hadn't been able to let her preoccupations rest until she came. So she had invented an excuse, that the Hio family wished to give the soon-to-be queen a personal gift for her wedding night in hopes that their Houses could bolster their bonds and trade agreements. It was silly, and the guards at the door seemed to think so, as well. They were hawkishly watching her every move as she stepped inside, eyes settling almost immediately on the blond girl who was fastening a thin golden chain around her slender neck.

Tsukiko was a petite girl, thin as a rail and shorter even than Maria, who couldn't think of any girls smaller than herself. For the wedding ceremony, the blond noble had been dressed in a long white dress with a full train and sweeping sleeves. The bodice was laced with golden threads, which worked their way down to an equally gold, tapered belt that traveled the length of the gown and touched the floor. A crown of small golden flowers adorned the girl's hair, as well as a sheer white veil that fell over her trembling shoulders. Beneath the veil, the Aidou noble had a cute, round face that radiated youth and innocence, though she was in fact several years older than Maria. Her large, blue eyes, full mouth, and flaxen hair made her pretty or maybe even adorable, though she was not a great beauty like Shizuka or Ruka Souen. Nor was she like her brother, Hanabusa Aidou, who Maria had never met but had heard was quite handsome.

Although, perhaps Tsukiko would have been prettier had she not been obviously miserable. Her eyes were red, swollen, and raw and her skin was blotchy from crying. In one hand, she clutched a handkerchief, which she used to blow her nose. Maria felt her gut clench. It was painfully obvious that the Aidou noble had not chosen to come to the capital willingly, and Maria could hardly blame her. Kaname had killed this girl's father and perhaps brother and now she was forced to wed him. The Hio girl wanted to tell her not to fear, that all too soon Kaname would be dead, but she could not. Doing so could endanger all of the plans she and her cousin had put into place.

Instead she said rather timidly, "Hello, My Lady."

"H-hello," Tsukiko stammered in surprised, quickly rubbing her eyes to clear them of tears.

"I'm Maria Hio, I came to...to meet you and...cheer you up," she concluded lamely, unsure of what to say.

A tentative smile flickered across the blond's face. She sniffled. "Thank you..."

Eyeing the guards surreptitiously, Maria stepped forward and said, "I can't imagine how you feel right now... I can't offer you any solace... I imagine you didn't decide to marry the king by choice."

Abruptly, Tsukiko's eyes watered, her lower lip quivering with the threat of tears. She gave a very slight shake of her head, but it was more than enough for Maria to confirm what she had already suspected. The silver-haired girl blanched, at a momentary loss for words. Then, cautiously, "You are not friendless in the capital, however." Doubtless, as well, the court would remember Nagamichi Aidou. She settled with adding, "Your father left quite an impression during his time here."

A tear trickled down Tsukiko's cheek. "I'm s-sure he did."

"It was such a deep shock to us all," Maria consoled the blond noble as best she could. "Your father was a force to be reckoned with, he truly was. I wouldn't presume to claim to have known him well, but just being in his presence was enough to make it clear just how formidable a person you were dealing with."

"Father was always much stronger than me," Tsukiko whispered. "I surrendered our house to Kaname for a handful of oaths."

"Oaths?" the Hio noble echoed.

"Yes." The petite blond wiped her face with one expensive sleeve of fabric. "He swore not to harm another member of our household so long as they stayed in the Indigo Mountains. He swore not to break off our trades or..."

"Isn't that good?" Maria asked with false hope. Somehow, nothing that came from Kaname seemed good.

"He swore all kinds of oaths, but what can I do to stop him if he breaks them?"

For a moment, Maria almost made a fool of herself. She wanted to say that no one could break an oath, but realized she was being naive. An oath was nothing more than words, then wind. Without magic to bind it, an oath was no more binding than an invitation to tea. She took a breath, expecting to find a response, and instead felt silence inflate her tongue, a useless balloon filling her mouth.

After an awkward pause, Maria handed the girl the plain wooden box she had been carrying. Angling her body so that it would be difficult for the guards to see what was inside, she opened the container, saying, "This is a gift. I thought, perhaps...you might feel safer with it." Inside the box lay a slender, short knife that could be easily hidden on one's person. There was no engraving or embellishment on the knife, either, so that it could not be traced back to Maria or her cousin. Maria half hoped Kaname would give Tsukiko an excuse to use the weapon and save the Hios the trouble of eliminating him. It was a gift Maria herself would have wanted, if she were in Tsukiko's position; something to give her some measure of comfort and safety even if she never used it.

Tsukiko's eyes widened a touch, and she immediately closed the box with a worried expression as her eyes darted to the guards and then back to Maria again. In a tense, scared whisper, the blond said, "Thank you."

"I hope you don't need to test the sharpness of the blade," Maria murmured back, though in her heart she secretly wished that the blade would slide right through Kaname Kuran's putrid heart.

A servant bustled into the room then and, with a brief cough in Maria's direction, announced, "I'm sorry, m'lady, but you'll have to leave. The ceremony begins shortly..."

"Of course," Maria replied. "Good luck," the silver-haired girl told Tsukiko, and with a curtsy she exited the room. She did not miss, however, how the tears had threatened once more against the blue backdrop of the Aidou noble's eyes.

* * *

 **AN:** Just as Maria states, this is not the plan. Maria just sympathizes with Tsukiko, the poor thing. Although, of course Maria and/or Shizuka wouldn't mind if Tsukiko killed Kaname for them!


	74. 74 Takuma

**AN:** WARNING FOR SOME HEAVY READING. This is the last chapter like this, which is kinda a spoiler, but just so you know, you don't have to suffer through any more of these... I sent this chapter to a friend to beta because it is pretty difficult to read, and she was in a shock. After some debate we decided to just leave it as it is, but don't read it if you don't want to be disturbed. If you don't want to read it or feel the need to stop reading it, send me a PM; I'll sum up the chapter for you.

BTW I'm not some sadistic psycho, this really happens in GOT. Not kidding.

* * *

 **TAKUMA**

Something large and hairy skittered across Takuma's foot. It was too dark to see, but his hand lashed out, grabbing the creature by its midriff. He could feel the acute pain of its claws and teeth against his flesh, tearing away chunks as blood seeped over his fingers, but he was beyond caring. Ravenously, his teeth tore into the struggling creature, sinking into its soft stomach. Hot blood spilled over his teeth, down his throat and his chin, and then he bit into it again. After another bite or two, the rat fell limp, and he relished the raw, stringy meat as it slithered down his throat. Devouring it, the merest suggestion of a laugh bubbled in his throat like the whisper of insanity. And then, choking on the rodent's meat and his own hopelessness, he did laugh. Laughed and swallowed the rat's flesh as though it was a banquet.

How long had it been since he'd eaten? Two days? Three? He sucked the last drops of blood in hungry desperation from the rat's body. He could no longer remember. He had been thrown into the darkest recesses of the dungeon and left to rot for days on end. Not even Sara came to torment him anymore. He wasn't worthy of her, was so beneath her now that only Joko came to extract punishment from his flesh. Throwing the rodent's carcass across the room, he grinned madly into the consuming blackness of the cell. He knew he should wipe off the rat's blood from his mouth and his hands. If Joko saw it, he would punish Takuma further for eating anything at all. But, the blond let it dry on his skin instead, from time to time allowing his tongue to dart out and get another taste.

He could no longer remember what he had been dreaming before he had been brought here, could no longer remember what had triggered Sara to toss him away like this. Those reveries had slipped out of him as though from a sieve. Now, he dreamed only of Sara or the nothing of exhaustion. He dreamed of her rooms, of her table, laden with food, of her touch. Only her. Beyond her, there was nothing else. Each time his mind tried to reach out past Sara to something more he broke down into a gibbering fool. He giggled, unsure why he did so. It was somehow so humorous to think that anything existed beyond darkness, beyond pain, beyond the hope of seeing Sara Shirabuki's face again and knowing that he had at last gained back a gleam of worth. Because he could only be redeemed by her, and no one else.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Takuma froze, eyes bulging in their sockets as the grip of sheer terror blazoned across his chest. No, no, no, please. He flattened himself into the corner of the room, shuddering, hunching down upon himself to make his figure smaller. He wasn't here. He wasn't. Maybe Joko had forgotten him, or forgotten which room he had the noble in. There was no one but the dead body of the rat. No one. Another laugh threatened in his throat again, but he shoved it down in fear. No sound, he couldn't make a sound. The mage would know someone was here.

The footsteps paused outside the door, and he heard the rattle of keys in the lock. Like the rattle of his bones as Joko stripped his fingers, one by one, of flesh. And then, when the agony became too much, when he screamed and begged for Joko to just cut them off, to just _please, fuck, take it off, cut it off_ , only then would the man oblige with the leisurely carving of his knife. And then, trembling and sobbing and retching and fingerless, then the mage would regrow each of Takuma's fingers, one by one, until he was screaming again. Sometimes, he blacked out from the pain. But Joko was patient, so very patient. He would wait, and as soon as the blond regained consciousness, he would start again. They had done this dozens of times, maybe hundreds, Takuma didn't know. Joko preferred the fingers to the toes, because the blond could watch the process more easily. But sometimes, every now and again, the mage would take off other parts than just the fingers.

The door creaked open and Takuma moaned in fear, shoving himself helplessly against the wall. Tears streamed down his cheeks, horror bubbled in his mouth, but there was no escape as the piercing lantern light cut into his eyes. The familiar shuffle of Joko's footsteps made the noble vomit water violently onto the floor. The lantern hovered in the air, its light slicing against his face, and for a moment there was only silence.

"You ate a rat," the mage breathed, and Takuma felt his teeth chattering. He gave an involuntary whimper, eyes shut tightly as though he could avoid his fate by simply not seeing it.

Joko came closer and Takuma scrabbled backwards, back hard against the stone wall. The mage leaned down and sniggered. "Why did you eat it?"

The Ichijou noble shook his head rapidly, pressure building under his skin until he felt he might explode. If he answered wrong, if he acted wrong, Joko would take his fingers again. Again. And again and again and _againandagainandagain_. When his voice left him it was so weak and brittle that he sounded more rat-like than the rat itself. "Please, they eat me at night, they eat me." It was true. The rodents nibbled and gnawed at his fingers and toes, at his nose, at his hair, each time he tried to sleep. He didn't mention the terrible, endless hunger that churned in his gut.

"What's your name?" Joko asked now, and Takuma floundered helplessly.

HIs name? His name? In the cell, in the black, why did he need a name? He was nothingness, he was grime and blood and agony. He was a memory, nothing more. He didn't know what to say. Half-formed words clogged his vocal chords, weighed down his tongue. He had a name, once, though he had forgotten it to the dark. Quivering, he hid his face in his hands.

"Talk to me," the mage threatened, and Takuma trembled.

"Hers," he squeaked, unsure of anything beyond that. He was hers, Sara's creature.

"Your name is Takuma, remember?"

He lifted his head from his arms, nodding eagerly. "Yes, yes, Takuma. It's Takuma. Don't hurt me..."

Joko made a sound of contempt. "You stink. I'm to wash you. Come on."

The blond wanted to resist, to refuse. But he was afraid. Horribly, terribly afraid of what the mage might do to him if he did not rise and follow him from the cell. So he struggled feebly to his feet, clutching the wall for support. He didn't know what was going to happen to him. His thoughts spiraled furiously, emptily. They had been flayed from his mind, starved from him. He swallowed dryly, staggering as he forced his way down the hall. What was Joko going to do with him now? Slice off his fingers again? Take him to the rack? He felt the fear blubbering in his chest again.

Joko shoved him forcibly when he slowed, directing him towards the steps that ascended out of the dungeon. Once he had cleared them, he faltered. The light pierced his eyes, blinding him, and the smell of fresh, moving air took him aback as he remembered, blearily, what the world beyond the dungeons must be like. He had forgotten. And then the mage was pushing him again down the hall.

The next hour was a nightmare. After he had been scrubbed violently by a pair of impatient servants, Joko had restored his body again to the time before his capture. The shrieking pain that his muscles, skin, and bones underwent was enough to leave him shaking and sobbing and pleading for the pain to stop. But the mage had no sympathy. Instead, he had commanded Takuma into fresh clothes and led him back down the corridor.

When they at last reached their destination, Takuma began shaking even more intensely, lungs constricted as he gasped for breath. Before him was the familiar bedroom, the familiar table. And seated there in blood-red, like her nails, like her dripping jewelry, was the one person he thought he would never see again: Sara Shirabuki. Her eyes flicked to him and then away again as though he were some repulsive insect. He felt another whimper as it was torn from his throat. The fear was so strong that he could scarcely keep his feet.

"Must you inflict him upon me while I'm eating?" Sara sighed, setting down her fork with a quiet clank against her plank.

"Forgive me." Joko bowed low. "It took longer to wash him than planned. If you don't mind my saying so, my Lady, I think you would be better served by slitting his throat."

Sara scoffed, standing. The chair scraped back against the floor as she moved towards them in a swish of scarlet cloth. "What a thing to say. You'll spoil my dinner."

"He'd forgotten his own name. Kill him and be done with it. Whatever result you were hoping for, you've gone past it now."

"I didn't ask for your advice, Joko," Sara snapped, and the mage straightened immediately, taking a step back. Then, she gave Takuma a sickly sweet look, murmuring, "You know I always give those who prove themselves worthy a chance for forgiveness."

The words were stuck. He stammered, stuttered, nearly retching again just from being in her presence. She was overwhelming. Her perfume was suffocating him. The vivid red of her gown was drowning him in a fountain of blood. Finally, with a cracking voice, he managed, "Y-yes, my Lady." Yes, she was merciful. She had forgiven him before, even though he hadn't deserved it.

"And you know I don't want to harm you unless I have to," she continued, and he nodded immediately, terrorized. She didn't want to hurt him, he knew, she only did it when she had no choice.

"You want to serve me, don't you?" she asked, staring down at him with minimal interest.

Quickly, he responded, "Yes, more than anything. I'm yours. Please let me serve you. Please." His speech was losing coherency, become garbled and discordant with apprehension and the ever-present fear. A shiver ran chilly down his spine. Please, let him serve her. Please, stop the mindless, numbing agony and bottomless hunger.

He could feel the remnants of the torture from some nights ago ticking through his head. He remembered how each finger was severed individually, brutally, callously. One, two. A pause while he screamed and vomited. Three... Four... Five... Blackness as he passed into oblivion. Six... ...Seven... Another pause. And then, the last three came off more easily as he passed into an impossibly high threshold of horror and pain. But, even when he'd thought it was over for the night, it was not, as Joko regrew each finger until Takuma was left in puddle of his sweat, blood, tears, and urine.

"Since you've asked me so nicely, how can I refuse?" Sara inquired, eyes glittering coldly. "Joko, leave us."

The servant stepped out, shutting the door with a click that rang with the finality of a funeral bell.


	75. 75 Yuki

**YUKI**

Yuki would never become accustomed to sleeping on the ground. Unfortunately, their trek that day had not brought them close to any towns or villages. They were in Sakaido now, according to Zero, and the princess was certainly grateful for that. At least, the land had become more forested and hilly and less swampy here. Once the light had drained from the sky and a misty fog had settled down around them, however, they were still in the middle of the woods, so the pair had made camp near a meadow and eaten a light supper from the supplies Rima and Senri had left them before laying down to sleep.

It was quiet, and Yuki found herself mulling over their journey since they had left the capital. It had been weeks since they had fled. So many days had passed that Yuki was no longer certain how long it had been since they were last in Ashgate. Certainly more than a month. Perhaps three? She doubted it had been more than three, but couldn't rule out the possibility either. Whether it had been two months or four, the princess was shocked by just how drastically her life had changed in such little time. Her life had begun changing before that, since Kaname had entered the castle walls, but in one particular way it had changed far more positively since then. Now, Zero had pledged to stand beside her, to fight for the crown, to be with her... Now, she was aware of the depth of her feelings for her Bloodguard, and she hoped that he felt the same.

Of course, more terrible things had happened than good ones. The Vale was destroyed, Hanabusa and Yori had been separated from them, Kaname was king, and inadvertently she and Zero had caused the deaths of two innocent villagers... She squeezed her eyes shut. She should never have left them there, should have taken the risk that they would send word to Kaname. At least, that way, they would still be alive... In her mind, she could still see with sickening clarity that single foot, bloody on the ground...

 _The world had turned inside out. Yuki felt her breaths coming sharply, far too ragged and uneven, jerking from her chest in near hysterical sobs. She was trembling, her body feeling as if it would crumble at any moment, her knees weak with the effort of keeping her on her feet. She couldn't stop staring, staring into that lifeless, glazed eye. It seemed to bore, accusingly, right down to Yuki's very soul. Then, abruptly, she felt herself wrenched around, Zero's arms encircling her tightly, preventing her from seeing the gruesome scene._

With tremendous effort, Yuki thrust that memory aside. There was no way to go back and save them now, just as there was no way to go back and save the people of The Vale or her adopted father... She could only begin to atone for their deaths when she had reclaimed the throne. Then, she could begin to repair what had been damaged and make amends for what had been destroyed. But first, they had to reach Seagate. With Rido's help, their goal would be one step closer to attainment.

A branch snapped in the night, snapping the threads of her thoughts along with it. Immediately, Zero was on his feet, blade drawn, eyes and stance wary. Yuki followed suit a moment later. It felt strange and at the same time empowering to know that she did not have to entirely rely on Zero to defend her. Eyes searching, Yuki could see nothing other than the outlines of the trees directly beside them. All around them was black and misted, barely illuminated by the stars and moon overhead.

"I'm going to search the area. I'll be right back," the knight told her.

"I can help," she replied instantly.

For a minute, she felt his hesitation palpably. But then he said, "Alright. Search the meadow. I'll search the trees."

Yuki didn't argue. No one could sneak up on her in the meadow, but in the trees it seemed like something could leap out at her at any given moment. After the lizard's attack, after seeing blood and a corpse firsthand...she broke off such thoughts, opting instead to concentrate on her surroundings. As quietly as she was able, she crept into the meadow. A few paces out was a large rock which she moved to stand on, intending to use it as a vantage point.

There was no movement in the darkness. The air was tight, holding its breath as Yuki turned slowly, scanning the shadows. None of them shared their secrets, however, clinging to the trees and shrubbery with an iron grasp. She descended down the rock and navigated the edge of the meadow, making a slow and deliberate circle around it, watchful. But there was nothing.

Crossing back to where she and Zero had camped, a patch of darkness dislodged from between two trees and came towards her, creeping through the insufficient light. Yuki raised her sword shakily, eyes narrowing and focusing, attempting to distinguish some feature that she could recognize. The fog was like a thick veil, distorting everything as though through water.

The distance between them decreased, and Yuki felt her fingers tighten against the hilt of the blade in terrified anticipation. Although the other figure appeared not to have any weapon pointed at her, she was still keeping her guard up until she determined their identity and purpose. She might not be as skilled a fighter as Zero, but she didn't plan to die tonight.

"It's okay, it's me," her knight's voice came softly, and Yuki relaxed marginally, lowering her weapon. "I didn't see anything."

"Me either," she whispered, still on edge. After a moment, both royals sheathed their swords with a residual feeling of trepidation, as they had not identified what had snapped the branch.

"I guess it was nothing," Zero declared, although she wasn't convinced.

The pair made their way back to the campsite, where Zero sat against the nearest tree, expression pensive. Yuki was on high alert for several moments, but as time continued to pass uneventfully, she eventually relaxed. Zero, on the other hand, remained locked away, eyes unfocused on something out of sight. He didn't register her close observation of him, or her nervous fidgeting as the fog curled around them.

"What is it?" she asked at last.

For a long moment, he was silent, drifting somewhere far away in his thoughts. At last, very quietly, he murmured, "It was a night like this, foggy and dark... We heard a small sound... Shizuka came to my village. Like this...she killed everyone..."

Yuki felt his words lance through her heart. There was nothing she could do to ease the grief he must still be feeling. Only now, she understood better what it was like to lose one's family...and one's home...

"The Kiryuus are supposed to be the heirs to the throne," he mused then. "If my brother was alive, he would gladly have agreed to become the king."

Her empathy soured at his words, and she glared at him. How was Zero so blind? Wasn't it painfully obvious how much she cared for him? How could he spend all this time by her side and not realize that she was in love with him? That she had asked him to be the king partially for her own selfish sake. Hadn't she admitted as much?

"I don't want your brother," she retorted. Then, softer, her heart quivering and vibrating in her chest, she murmured shyly, "I want _you_ , Zero."

She didn't mistake the breath he abruptly sucked in, the way he tensed, how he froze again like he always did and then looked away. There was something torturous agonizing and whirring through his eyes, and she couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking, or how he could possibly misinterpret her words. But she knew Zero was always drowning in his insecurities and self-doubt. Assuredly, even now behind those stormy violet eyes, he was finding a way to dismiss her statement. Tonight, as selfishness and impatience rose up to greedily claim her, she didn't want to grant him the opportunity to invent an excuse or to escape the truth.

Sitting up with his back against the tree, eyes hazed out with a blur of thoughts, Zero's attention had withdrawn inward. The furrow between his eyebrows stood out with stark definition, a clear signpost to his inner snare of thoughts. Yuki watched him quietly, eyes searching through the stormy mist for some flicker of consciousness. Occasionally, his mouth would twitch downwards into a frown, fingers curling against the ground. He seemed...confused. And lost.

What could she do? This feeling, right now, was the same one she'd sensed that day she'd kissed the corner of his mouth. It had lingered as he'd moved to touch her cheek with such torn indecision. In those moments, she'd nearly dismissed the possibility, but when she let herself ponder over it, analyze it... The words that had always fallen in the space between them, unsaid, had suddenly taken shape. She'd spent years masking that one honest feeling, those few and simple words, and she wondered if Zero hadn't been doing exactly the same thing.

Rising from her spot, she continued to watch his eyes. There was no indication that he registered her movements, and she moved closer, emboldened by the lean of her thoughts, internally soothing her anxious heart. Zero had to know. She had to tell him. She didn't want him to doubt anymore, didn't want him to run away to some recessed, hidden place in his mind whenever she got too close or skirted around the truth. The suspicion she held, carefully nurtured over these past days, needed confirmation, and was slowly compressing her heart. Her breath sped a little, hesitant but determined to discover this half-hidden truth.

Sliding onto his lap, prohibiting his escape, she saw his eyes sharpen, finding her face from beneath the mist of thoughts. She leaned forward, hands moving to cradle his face between them. He didn't push her away. For a moment, he didn't move at all, a statue of stone save the deepening of the wrinkle on his forehead. Then Zero's expression changed through so many faces so fast that she wasn't able to register them. His eyes flickered through every hue of purple possible, eyebrows working silently. She blinked, and he was exactly as he had been a moment before, face unreadable. Body taut with anxious anticipation, she gathered her courage...

Gathered her courage, and leaned forward to press her lips against his.

As their lips met, she felt him move, saw his eyes widen ever so slightly before she shut her own, his lungs jerking against her chest. But he wasn't stopping her. He wasn't pushing her away or pulling himself back. Instead, after that first faltering instant, she felt his lips push back against hers, and from the catch in his breath, she wondered if he couldn't stop himself. His mouth was warm and sweet against hers, and as she lingered over his lips, she felt his arms wrap around her waist, drawing her closer towards him. Those arms seemed almost desperate, the pressure of the kiss increasing, at first a tad clumsily, and then with increasing aptitude. Pressed close to him like this, she could feel each breath, each heartbeat, both resounding through her as if they were her own, and she let her arms twine around his neck, relishing every second of the uninhibited, blissful contact.

She didn't want this to end. She could taste him on her tongue, taste home and sweet affection and all of the pent up conflict within him. The way his mouth moved against hers, the way he seemed to struggle between tenderness and something rougher, indicated to her that he wanted this as much as she did. His lips conveyed an honest desire that his demeanor hid so very well. And against his lips, she thought she at last had her answer.

He broke away from her then, expression stricken, breathing uneven. Her breath froze in her throat, heart spinning even more dazedly and more hopefully than before. His expression was strange, unrecognizable, but she could still pick out the confusion and uncertainty, the guilt and regret, and perhaps the muted desire to be held close. She wanted to erase all of it, everything except that which would bring him closer to her. Her selfishness wanted him to love her, her and only her. And she felt a spark of hope for such an outcome.

She shook her head slowly, not understanding why he had to be like this. Shook her head and murmured, eyes pinning his down with new resolve, "When I said I wanted you, Zero, I meant it. The reason I'm able to be here like this, the reason I can keep moving forward despite everything that's happened, is because I have someone I'm able to lean on, someone with the same outlook at me, someone with the same feelings. That person is you. When Kaname was attempting to win my heart, he didn't know it was an impossible feat. It was already yours, Zero. It always has been, because I...I love you."

She'd said it. The words that had always remained frightened in the back of her throat. She couldn't take them back now. But Zero had needed to know the truth, needed it if he was going to fully accept the throne. Yuki didn't want him to believe she was asking him to do it out of guilt or anything else. She wanted Zero to be king very simply because she wanted to be with him. She always had. The wounded boy who had stumbled into her life was one she cherished above all others.

His eyebrows shot down, bold lines of emphasis that cut across his face. The expression he showed her now was uncharacteristically open and vulnerable. There was such conflict there, hammering at the walls of his reasoning and control, fraying everything away. There, too, was a tremor to the set of his shoulders. His right hand, barely visible around his body, was clenched so tightly that the skin over his knuckles had become taut and white. Her heart kicked, and she inhaled sharply, further confused. Was he rejecting her, or was he merely feeling, once again, that he shouldn't come closer? Her pulse raced in double time, the seeds of that suspicion planting more firmly than ever before within her.

Her lungs felt tight as she managed to press, "I tried to tell you before; I told you I desperately needed you, I told you I wanted you to be at my side. It's true... The feelings I have for you, they've never been diminished." A bittersweet smile swept up her lips, "Even if you don´t feel the same, I love you. Now and always."

Her rapid heartbeats marked the pause that stretched between them. His emotions remained buried, entrenched in violet shadow. At last, hands rising to cup her face, he answered. "Yuki... I'm not worthy of such a thing as your love."

A million protests immediately rose to mind. Instead, she said, "You may think that, that you're unworthy. I know you're still haunted by the past. I know you hate the magic that runs through your veins. But the only thing I desire is to be by your side. That is…if you want me there…"

Almost painfully, the words rang from his lips, "Of course I want you there, Yuki… That´s all I ever wanted… You're the woman I want to protect...your presence in my life gave me the strength to go on living, even through the times when I only wanted to end it."

"Then, stay by my side, Zero," she pleaded. "I´ll say it again. I love you."

For a moment, he said nothing. He was struggling still, that much she could see. But after a long, dragging, dreadful pause, something cracked in his demeanor and it appeared that dawn was breaking in those violet eyes. The tempest lifted, leaving only moonlight and open sky, and every contour, every line of his features impossibly softened. She thought he had never seemed so handsome, or so warm. The temporary absence of all rage or melancholy from his face was surreal.

"Yuki," he murmured, "You can't know...I've always longed to hear those words..."

"I should have said them long before," she admitted, dizzy with optimism, as she tenderly brushing back the hair from his brow.

He shook his head. "I´ve been a coward. I was afraid of the consequences for loving you, but I won't hide behind excuses anymore. I promised I wouldn't push you away again...and that's exactly what I've continued doing, despite that..." A heavy pause. Then, shakily, "Yuki...I love you, too." The words spilled into the night air, and the princess felt her pulse skyrocket with joy.

Flushing delightedly, she planted a kiss on the knight's cheek to diffuse some of the fullness she felt expanding in her chest. Then, a touch breathlessly, she added, "The things you want...it's okay to want them. If you love me...then just be with me. It doesn't have to be complicated. There isn't anything left to separate us...except ourselves."

A cynical smile illuminated his lips. "I always complicate things... So if you ever feel you don't need me anymore, if you change your mind...feel free to leave me."

Yuki smacked his shoulder, scowling. "That's never going to happen. Even when you become old and wrinkled, my feelings towards you still won't change. And...don't worry about complicating things, we can take our time. I have no intention of rushing you. Actually," she giggled, "We don't seem to rush with anything. I couldn't admit my feelings to myself for years because I was afraid of the consequences, too... I deluded myself for so long, but I've always loved you."

"As have I," he agreed, and her blush deepened as she lost herself in the glow of those violet eyes.

Giddily, she leaned forward to touch her lips to his one more time. Eyes shut, breaths intermingling, she felt truly at peace. If only they could continue forever this way. If only she didn't have to wake up tomorrow to an uncertain and undoubtedly bloody future... But here, now, there was only the two of them. Herself, red-cheeked and blissful, and Zero, for once transparent and utterly calm. His lips were lifting hers up along with them into an intimate smile.

When they drew apart, Zero told her, "I'll keep watch so you can sleep."

"We'll take it in turns," she countered, narrowing her eyes as she stood gingerly. If she wasn't careful, Zero would stay awake the entire night, and he needed rest, too.

"Fine, but I'm taking the first watch," the silver-haired man acquiesced, and she stretched out beside him, intending to sleep with minimal distance between them. "Get some sleep," he prompted as she settled down.

The princess nodded, yawning tiredly. "Good night, Zero," she said.

"Good night," he murmured, and she felt an unexpected thrill run down her spine at those simple words.

Yes, it was a good night. Every night would be a good night now, with him at her side...

* * *

 **AN:** Some sweetness to balance out that last chapter. What do you think?

Important Sidenote: I think i'm gonna delay the extra chapter until after the holidays due to the themes that are present in it. I don't wanna bum anyone out over Christmas, ya know? So I think I'll just hold off on that until the first or second week of January.


	76. 76 Yori

**YORI**

Once again, when night had fallen like a dusty curtain over the sky, Yori and Hanabusa found themselves without shelter. They had come across a town at midday, and since then had not discovered another. It seemed that they would be spending another night on the ground. At least, on this night, the sky was clear and glistening, the stars dangling above peacefully. The two nobles had taken the time to pause and simply watch the glimmer of the stars overhead. Those distant gleams of light, slipping across the oily dark sky, were unchanging and impermeable in a world of constant change. Yori found them unmistakably beautiful.

Glancing at Hanabusa from the corner of her eyes, Yori saw that he was smiling. That smile, although small, was at the same time pure and unrestricted, incandescently sparkling with light and life. Seeing it, she felt strangely helpless, unable to look away, her breath draining out, only wanting to watch him smiling like that forever. Looking at him like this, she almost felt impervious to all of the loss and tragedy which had befallen her. His presence alone washed the sorrow from surface of her heart; his smile ignited a blaze of love and warmth through her chest.

Reflexively, her eyes stroked over him lasciviously, tracing over the lines of his face and body with a gaze previously unknown to her: that of a lover. She was intimately familiar with him in a way that she had never been familiar with anyone before. She was making a study of him, learning the dips and hollows of his upper body, the curves of his shoulders and arms, the texture of his skin. She could recall them now with a tingling in her fingertips that craved fulfillment. Equally so, she was carefully memorizing the sensation of his muscles tightly contracting beneath his skin as he moved and the soft, deep murmur of a good morning into her ear with the first brush of morning light. Although the night air was warm and balmy, a shiver worked its way up her spine, and her eyes fell away, darting back up to the sky above.

The corners of her mouth hitched up into a bemused smile as she thought of Yuki's reaction to this sudden shift in her relationship with the knight. She imagined the revelation would shock the princess, who refused to entertain the notion of so much as kissing Zero, whom she had been in love with for years. But Yori didn´t feel even a twinge of remorse for what she had done…what she _was doing_ , she reminded herself, because it had not been once, but several times now... A flush was creeping up the back of her neck, alongside the previous chill. She ignored it.

Why should she hold back, anyway? What was there to be scared of? That Hanabusa would grow bored and leave her? That, if anyone found out, she would be disgraced? Wasn't she already a bastard? The only thought that caused her heart to stammer uncertainly was that...perhaps...Hanabusa would marry someone else in time and she would have to say goodbye... But, with a forcible shake of her head, she refused to entertain such a thought any further.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," she remarked, letting her thoughts take a more pleasant route. After everything that had happened, here she was, together with Hanabusa, able to gaze at the stars like this...

"Yori…" Hanabusa suddenly murmured suddenly, brows furrowing together for a moment, hand capturing hers as he moved to stand in front of the auburn-haired noble.

"Hm?" she hummed, turning her gaze from the stars to his eyes, which were shaded indigo with the night.

"I´ve been thinking a lot lately… It might be impossible for us to be freely happy together, since you´re the heiress to the Virid Wood and my father has his own expectations for me… But even something as small as looking at the stars together…the more I think about it, the more I think I´m unable to share these moments with anyone but you. I´ve been thinking, 'Yori is the one, it has to be her. I want to cherish my time with Yori.'"

He took a breath, then, "And I´ve been thinking about what I want, not just today but for the rest of my life." He paused, almost nervously, before continuing, "...I want to wake up with you in our home, in the bed that we share. I want to walk down the street with you by my side, so everyone knows that I am yours and you are mine. I don't want to be afraid of what might happen for loving you, what objections my father and my family might raise. I love you. That is all I know and all I need to know. When we're together...I believe I understand more and more with each day the meaning of true happiness."

If her heart had not already been pounding in time with his words, it was even more so as he slid to one knee on the ground, staring up at her with her hand still grasped firmly within his. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next, but even so, hearing the words caused her face to heat and her pulse to race.

"Sayori Wakaba…will you be my wife?" he asked simply, eyes serious against hers.

Tears pricked against the back of her eyes. Overwhelmed with emotion, she could only manage to say, "Yes."

In the back of her mind, she could hear the word echoing on and on forever. Yes, of course yes, a million times yes. Yes, because she never wanted to be separated from him again. Yes, because he was the reason she could laugh again, because he never doubted her even when she doubted herself. Yes, because without him the future would be so dark and so cold that it would suck her breath straight from her lungs and every last vestige of warmth straight from her bones. Yes, because she loved him. None of those words escaped her. They jostled in her throat until they knotted and clumped into a solid mass. All she had been able to say was that one simple word, but that one word was all that the blond knight had needed to hear.

Immediately, Hanabusa's lips swept upward into a broad smile, and he stood, pulling her against him in a tight embrace. Although it wasn't necessary, the promise that they would stay together both comforted and thrilled her. True, she had lost a great deal, but she had also gained something irreplaceable. Something wondrous. Something that she would never trade for anything.

"I´m so lucky to have you by my side," she whispered into his shirt, pressing herself closer against him. "After everything I've… _we´ve_ … faced...having a future with you snatched away from me is definitely the most terrifying thing I've ever had to endure…"

"I won't let it be snatched away," he said fiercely.

"But, your family," she protested weakly, shifting away slightly so she could look up at his face. Nothing was final until they spoke to his parents, after all... She couldn't let herself anticipate their acceptance when they might utterly refuse.

"I don't care what they think about it. The only opinion that matters is yours, Yori," he replied softly.

She flushed slightly. "Well, I think I want to marry you..."

"Then you will," he stated, grinning. Then, suddenly, "Wait." He pulled away from her and withdrew something from his pocket, pressing it into her palm.

Unfurling her fingers, Yori saw that he had given her the ring he always wore, the one which bore the Aidou House crest. He had looped it through a long, thin length of brown leather, which could be worn as a necklace. He explained, "I'll have a proper one made for you when we have a chance to visit my home. In the meantime...I'd rather if you took mine. I'm afraid I don't have anything else to give you right now."

Brimming with happiness, she immediately slipped the leather around her neck. The golden ring was an unfamiliar but welcome weight against her chest. In answer, she tugged him forward so that she might kiss him. Then, settling back on her heels, she told him, "It's perfect. ...It's perfect and I love you."

* * *

 **AN:** I love Aidori, they're perfect together. I still kinda wanna feed Yuki to a dinosaur though...

Annnnnd...Happy Holidays!


	77. 77 Akatsuki

**AN:** Since I'm flying home tomorrow, I decided to upload a day early because otherwise I might forget. Happy New Year everyone!

* * *

 **AKATSUKI**

Kan's eyebrows drew together thickly, mouth exaggerating into a heavy frown. "You mean to say...Kaname is behind all of this?"

"I suspect it, yes. At the very least, Hanabusa's note warned me of him," Akatsuki told his brother grimly.

"This isn't really news, Kan," Akatsuki's mother, Akira, told the Kain lord firmly. "I knew as soon as I heard the news about Nagamichi and I suspected even before then. I wrote to him to be careful, but look what happened."

"And you say the princess is alive, and Sayori Wakaba. How do you know this isn't a trick?" Kan asked with unmistakable gruffness.

Akatsuki understood his brother's reluctance to accept these facts as truth. Accepting them meant that Kan would have to view Kaname as someone to be disposed of, and conflict with the capital would be no simple matter. So he said resolutely, "I recognized Hanabusa's writing. And I don't believe it's a trick."

"We're going to need the princess and Lady Sayori to testify against him," Akira mentioned. "Sayori may be the only witness apart from the Princess and her guards that we have of the attack on The Vale, and she's the heiress besides. More importantly, if Princess Yuki is indeed alive, Kaname has no claim to the throne. I don't believe the Kingdoms will support an usurper."

"But we don't know where they are," Kan pointed out.

"We do," Akira countered immediately.

Akatsuki raised an eyebrow at his mother. "We do?"

"Don't be dense," she retorted, a tad waspishly. "We don't know their exact location at this very moment, but where would they be going?"

"They need protection...," Akatsuki murmured slowly, processing his mother's words.

"Princess Yuki did what I would have done in her place. She went to a relatively neutral, though undoubtedly safe location. She knew the Wakabas would protect her and she also knew that because they kept to themselves there was very little risk that Kaname would pursue her." Akira's expression took on an element of asperity as she continued, "However, she underestimated Kaname. Because she chose a secluded, neutral sanctuary, she enabled her cousin to destroy it that much more easily."

"They would be foolish to seek the Aidous for refuge now, after all that's happened," Kan rebuffed his mother, following her thought process. "Nagamichi is dead and Tsukiko has just been crowned queen."

"On the contrary, I think that makes the Indigo Mountains the perfect place to hide. Kaname will not expect it. However, I don't believe that they would first go there."

"Where, then?" Akatsuki asked.

Akira gave a tight smile. "They are going to Rido Kuran."

"Preposterous," Kan interjected.

"Rido is a dangerous man, Mother," Akatsuki replied simply. "Why would they go to him?"

"First, he shares blood with the princess." Akira raised a finger. "Second, if he has any honor left, he will not harm her as a guest in his home and a relation of himself. Third, Rido and Kaname have never seen eye-to-eye. It is well known that they hate one another. What reason would Rido have to support Kaname? Not to mention, if Yuki regains the throne, she will remember his help." Akira was holding up three fingers now. She folded them back into her palm as she added, "He is the obvious choice and I doubt Kaname will be audacious enough to attack his father."

Akatsuki had to admit his mother's logic was infallible, as always. Despite that, he wondered if the princess and her knights were quite as shrewd. Immediately, he laughed to himself, remembering that Hanabusa and his mother were Aidous, after all. Hanabusa would think of these things, if no one else.

"So they're going to Rido," Kan allowed. "How does that help us?"

"They will need more support. If Rido agrees to support them, they will then attempt to gain our support as well as the support of the Aidous. We are family, after all." Akira sat back in her chair as though this decided the matter.

"Siding with the princess is a risky move," Kan admonished his mother.

Akira's lip curled. "So you would side with the man who killed your uncle and attempted to kill your cousin?"

"Perhaps I will side with neither," Lord Kain growled.

"Brother," Akatsuki quickly intervened, seeing the fury sparkle in his mother's eyes, "Take some time to consider it. Kaname has shown no qualms in attacking allies of the capital before, as with the Wakabas. And the people of Ashgate have already rebelled once... Change is coming and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Akira nodded to him in agreement, a satisfied smile perched on her lips. "Well said, Akatsuki," she said with a touch of pride.

"I will consider the matter," Kan replied. "We cannot be sure of anything yet. I don't want to be rash with my decision."

Akatsuki inclined his head, respecting his brother's hesitancy. Kan was right to wait. If they prematurely declared themselves against Kaname, disaster could follow. Their Lady Mother seemed appeased with these words, as well, which Akatsuki found reassuring. Furthermore, the private meeting the three of them had just held was a positive step towards the future. The red-haired knight was relieved to finally be back home, away from the court, with the guarantee of Ruka's safety.

The very thought of the Lady Ruka caused his brain to start clouding and swarming with doubts and emotions. He barely registered his mother and Kan calling it a night and biding him a good evening. Ruka had been steadfastly avoiding him since their arrival. She had still not forgiven him for the engagement, it seemed, and her discontent was apparent every time he laid eyes on her, which was usually at meals. He knew that she was not entirely bored; at least, Kyoko had been having afternoon tea with her everyday and Akira had taken her out riding a few times. Yet, from the pouty set of her lips and the rigidity of her eyes he knew that she was dissatisfied.

Standing up, his feet began setting a path for Ruka's chambers. He didn't want things to continue like this, and if he didn't make an attempt to reconcile with her, he knew she never would. It was beyond frustrating, but Ruka had always been able to hold onto a grudge. He gave a lopsided, rueful grin. It was entirely possible that she would hold this particular grudge against him for the rest of their lives.

Making his way through the passages of the manor, which more aptly should have been called a fort, Akatsuki felt more at ease than he had in months. This was his home, not Ashgate, try though he had to make it so. He had never quite gotten accustomed to the grandiose scale of the buildings, sculptures, and tapestries of the capital, nor to the abundance of luxuries. Here, he and his family were able to live in comfort, but modestly. They lacked for nothing, but neither did they make a show of their wealth. It was the very simplicity of this city and this house that made it so perfect, though he doubted Ruka felt the same.

Before long, he had reached the noblewoman's door. He raised his hand and knocked without a word. Somehow, he felt that if he announced himself, she might not deign to respond at all. And he rather desperately craved a chance to speak with her. It had been too long that they had been at odds. She hadn't been able to escape him during the journey here, but the moment they had arrived, she had begun deftly avoiding him. It was time to face her squarely.

"Come in," came her voice in a prim tone.

Taking a deep breath, the knight pushed open the door. Ruka was seated at a cozy breakfast table where she was polishing her nails. When she realized who her visitor was, her expression instantly soured, though she did not rebuke him, either. As always, the sight of her face burned over his heart with hot coals. There were so many emotions that surfaced each time he glimpsed her, that he was always rendered helpless before her. Just like now...

He stared at her silently for a long moment, almost wistfully. He recalled, with strangely acute clarity, so many years ago when they had been children. Ruka had always confided in him then, stood up for him, relied on him. Her sometimes rebellious nature had gotten them both into trouble back then, but Akatsuki wouldn't have traded her company for anything. And then, as she began to blossom into a young woman, she had gradually withdrawn away from him. At a time when he wanted to grow even closer to her, she had begun pulling away, little by little, until their friendship was only an echo of what it had been. He hoped Ruka knew she could continue to confide in him and rely on him, but he also knew that Ruka preferred to stand alone. She was right when she said she didn't need his help. She didn't need anyone. It was only his selfishness that wanted her to need him, if only just a little bit.

"Akatsuki?" Ruka asked, her melodic voice pulling him back to reality.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was just thinking how you've changed since the time I first met you, back when we were children."

"That was a long time ago," she answered, finishing with her nails and regarding him with what appeared to be mild curiosity.

"Yes... You know, my mother has grown quite fond of you. She confessed to me she always wanted a daughter of your caliber, independent and headstrong and not afraid to fight for what she wanted." It was true. Akira had mentioned such sentiments to him just yesterday while they had taken tea together.

"Lady Akira said that?" Ruka's eyes widened slightly, and he did not mistake the faint flush of color that brushed across her cheeks.

"Actually, I'm a bit envious of her. She's able to express herself so plainly, while I never have been able to do the same." He glanced away for a moment, gathering himself, before returning his gaze to Ruka's.

"If you're here to flatter me, Akatsuki, you needn't bother," the noble lady told him harshly.

"On the contrary, I'm here to beg your pardon. I swear to you, I was just as surprised as you were by our engagement-"

Before he could even begin his apology, she was already waving him off. "I already know it was Nagamichi who arranged it."

Abruptly deflated, he fumbled for words. "Oh. I..." He didn't know what to say. If she already knew, but was still angry with him, what could he do? What did she want him to do? He would do anything to earn her forgiveness, or at the very least a smile.

Ruka let out a huff of breath, stoically looking away from him as she muttered, "I suppose I've already forgiven you, truthfully. But I don't appreciate having this situation sprung on me. It's easier to be upset with you than with a dead man."

Relief rushed through him. He wanted nothing more than to sweep the young woman seated before him into an embrace, and against his better judgment he realized he had taken an involuntary step forward before he reined himself in. He could not touch her. Doing so would definitely transform her misdirected anger into well-deserved anger, and he did not want that.

"Thank you... Ruka, you know I would be more than willing to cancel our engagement... I will admit, I'm not averse to it, but I never wanted to force you into anything. It shouldn't come as a surprise, though, that I'm not unhappy to be promised to my childhood friend rather than a stranger." He wasn't exactly speaking honestly, but neither was he sure he could openly admit his love, knowing how it would be received.

To his shock, the honey-haired noble's lips actually twitched. "Admittedly, marrying you is a thousand times preferable to marrying Rido Kuran, which was my parents' original choice. But I'm not overly enthused to be locked into this, either. Or any marriage. Although, I have appalling luck with my own choices. It would seem every man wishes to court me but the ones I desire." She heaved a sigh, then shrugged dejectedly.

"Who do you desire now?" he asked, unable to help himself.

"It's not really _who_ anymore, but _what_." She paused, then, "Why is it so unheard of to allow women to choose for themselves, no matter how much time it takes to do so? Maybe I would have chosen you eventually, we are friends as you've said, but having that small freedom taken away is exactly what enrages me."

Akatsuki had to smile. "That's what my mother admires in you. I'm convinced she would even prefer to name you the Kain successor," he added teasingly. Ruka rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was pleased. Using the lapse to his advantage, his pressed on, saying, "Believe me, Ruka, if I could grant you the ability to choose, I would. There's no reason to push you into a marriage you don't want, but neither can I oppose it without breaking the ties between our families."

"I know." The Souen noble rose then, moving to shut the curtains on the window. Finally, she turned back to him and said, "I'm sorry for being unnecessarily cross with you."

It was only a sentence, and yet it was more than he had ever hoped for from Ruka. She had never really apologized to him before for any reason, so the admittance that she might have wronged him that issued from her lips now jolted unexpectedly through his system. Immediately, he could feel his love for her surging through his veins, gathering force in a maelstrom of bottled up emotion that he had kept locked away for years. Why did he keep it hidden? Wasn't it obvious? He had loved this woman his entire life, from the first moment that he was able to recognize what this feeling was called, and he had not desisted for even an instant since then.

The words rushed from him in a near-whisper, leaving behind them only empty silence in their wake. "I'm sorry, Ruka, I can't continue evading it... Perhaps you shouldn't forgive me after all. The...well, the truth is, I'm in love with you."

The quiet was drowning his ears. Ruka was watching him with an unreadable face, frozen still as a statue. So he continued in a rush, "I know your heart doesn't belong to me. But even so, I won't give up. I don't wish to speak ill of Kaname, but I would never give you cause to weep so bitterly as you have for him. I would devote my whole existence to ensuring your happiness."

At last, the noblewoman came to life again. She seemed oddly subdued as she murmured, "When you say that...I know you're telling the truth. That's how I felt, too... I had those very same thoughts, except they were for Kaname..."

Bitter ache twisted his heart. Just as he'd known, there was nothing in her heart for him. Not even the smallest, most insignificant corner. Still, he told her, "It doesn't matter that right now your heart doesn't belong to me. It's enough for me if I can hope that someday you'll find it in yourself to love me, even if only a little."

When she didn't immediately respond, he moved to her side, taking her hands in his. She didn't pull away as he'd feared. Calming himself, soothing his broken heart, he found the courage to ask, "I didn't have the opportunity to ask you this before. I know this isn't what you wanted. I know that this isn't where you want to be. But I swear, if you let me, I will treasure you for the rest of your days and value you above all else. ...Will you marry me, Ruka?"

An endearing shade of pink conquered her cheeks for a moment. The Souen noble seemed at a loss, her fingers flinching in his grasp, though still she did not move. Then, refusing to meet his eyes, she finally answered quite simply, "Yes."

Akatsuki forgot to breathe. He forgot to think, to feel. His heart forgot to beat. He was utterly stunned. He had been bracing himself for a complete rejection. He needed it, to begin walling himself off from this poisonous love that would never be reciprocated. But she had said yes. Yes. For a brief instant, he wondered if perhaps he were dreaming. Or worse, that Kaname had attacked them and he was dead. But no, he could feel the smooth, milky skin of Ruka's hands in his. He could smell the hint of perfume that wafted from her. He could see the way the light caught and gleamed in her hair. This was real. Completely, unbelievably, impossibly real.

Her eyes darted up to his, then away again as she mustered the words to explain, "I know that Kaname will never love me. I think I've always known it, and honestly I've given up on him for a while. And I know that I can't ask for a better marriage than one to you. Frankly...I've grown weary of unrequited love. And I've known...maybe for a long, long time, that you love me... I can't promise to love you in return, Akatsuki, but I can try."

"It's more than enough that you're willing to try. And I will do my best to make you the happiest woman in the Nine Kingdoms if it's in my power to do so," he murmured, still taken aback with the turn of events and Ruka's change of heart.

"Do you swear it?" she demanded, meeting his eyes steadily now.

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he gave her hands a squeeze. "I swear it."

* * *

 **AN:** Since it's the holidays I decided we could use some happier chapters hehe. No mortal danger or angst this week either ;).


	78. 78 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

After so many weeks on the road, it felt like a miracle to arrive safely in Seagate. Hanabusa and Yori arrived at the outskirts of the city at mid-afternoon after an easy, uneventful walk from the village they had spent the night in. Every step that they had taken along the crowded streets had filled the knight with a mixture of anticipation and dread. It was entirely possible that, within the day, they would be reunited with Yuki and Zero. At the same time, it was also possible that Hanabusa would discover the pair had met their deaths here... Whichever the case, it was almost surreal that they were finally arriving at their destination.

Seagate was not vastly different from Ashgate in design, although the atmosphere and surrounding scenery were dissimilar. The city sprawled alongside the sea, a veritable maze of low grey buildings stretching out in every direction like a patch of slowly, irrefutably spreading mold. The smell of salt water and fish hung like heavy fog in the air, inescapable as it assaulted both the blond knight and Yori´s nostrils. Above the dirty streets, situated on the top of an emerald hill which rose colorfully from the grey cityscape like a tawdry gem, was a formidable castle built entirely from dark grey blocks of stone. Atop the hill and apart from all other buildings, it seemed the castle had been placed there haphazardly by a wandering giant. As the pair of nobles approached, Hanabusa could see Rido Kuran´s banners hanging from the battlements, waving and flapping in the wind, vividly red against the colorless walls.

Below, along the expansive docks, Hanabusa had found the view less jolting and far more pleasant. Planted beside the road that paralleled the docks were beautifully twisted trees blooming with puffs of lilac blossoms. The water itself was daunting, running on into infinity and dotted with hundreds of ships of various sizes. As he had watched, he had seen that the waves hurtling forward in frothing rage, galloping towards him and foaming white and feral. He had simultaneously wanted to immerse himself in the blue-green waters and walk as far away as he could from the liquid monstrosity.

Now, passing under the first archway into the castle yard, Hanabusa was shaken back to reality by the guards, which demanded his identity and his business. For a moment, he hesitated. If Yuki weren´t here, or if she wasn´t coming, he would undoubtedly be placing both his and Yori´s futures into a potential enemy's hands. There were some spots that could never come off a man, and Rido was covered in them from countless murders, betrayals, and disappearances. But even as the knight thought this, he knew the choice was already made. They had no choice but to proceed forward. So he flashed them his ring, which he had borrowed back from Yori only for this day to prove his lineage, and announced that he had business for Lord Rido and none other.

"And her?" one of the guards demanded, jerking a thumb at Yori.

"She´s…" Hanabusa faltered. He should not say her name, should not give away her inheritance, or Rido might reach the same conclusion Rei Touma had: that she was valuable and should be detained. "…my companion," he finished, floundering. For once, no easy lie sprang from his lips.

"How delightful," an unfamiliar, deep voice purred. "Hanabusa Aidou has survived against all odds and brought a paramour to my court."

A shadow detached itself from the wall, and a tall, imposing man stepped out into view behind the guards. From his rich attire and his words, Hanabusa immediately gathered that this was none other than Lord Rido himself. Outwardly, the Kuran lord abounded with contradictions. His face displayed a middle-aged man who was aging gracefully, a man who had once been handsome, but that same face also revealed hard, jaded features which bespoke of many trials and conflicts in his past. His garments were made from exquisite cloth, but they seemed to hang slightly from the man's form, as though he had recently lost a great deal of weight. Around his waist hung a bejeweled sword in a hand-painted, expensive pommel, but it was the pair of wickedly curved daggers that accompanied it that seemed to bear the brunt of use. At least, their handles were so worn down that Hanabusa could make out the plain, unadorned wood beneath the varnish. What truly drew the knight´s attention, however, were Rido´s unsettling, crafty eyes. One was a deep, mysterious blue that teemed with veiled threats, while the other was brown, tinged with gold, and outright dangerous. That golden eye gleamed menacingly in the afternoon light.

"That is what she is, isn´t it?" Rido leered, licking his lips as his gaze combed over Yori´s figure.

Hanabusa flushed, enraged, although the Kuran lord took his reponse for embarrassed affirmation. To the blond´s surprise, Rido continued in a pleased tone of voice, "You´re a man after my own heart, Hanabusa. I have to respect a lord who does not deny the carnal pleasures. They are by far my preferred pastime. Of course you are welcome here, and your woman is too. I´ll have a room prepared for you immediately. The one beside the courtyard will be ideal."

Rido clapped his hands together sharply, and one of the guards immediately bowed and entered the castle, presumably to alert the servants to prepare the aforementioned room. Then Rido gestured for them to follow him into the building, asking, "And the name of your lady?"

The knight noted that the lord did not address Yori herself, but thought perhaps that was for the best. Total ambiguity would give her the most protection. If Rido did not view her as a person, he would not believe that she held any value, and therefore would not investigate her identity further…or so he hoped. He gave the same name Yori had used before, "Sari. She´s from a village in the Souen kingdom."

"A country girl, yes. I remember a few of those fondly," Rido chuckled. "Though I am curious why you have chosen to come here? I am, after all, the king´s father…"

Hanabusa wondered how much he should reveal. Any information he gave away could potentially make its way back to Kaname. Worse, if Rido was not as friendly as he appeared, the young Aidou lord became less and less valuable after each secret he divulged. So he limited himself to saying, "I was separated from the princess some time ago. I do not know if she lives, but we discussed coming here. She thought, as you are family, after all, that she might be safe here…"

"She is not here," Rido answered, eyes glittering sinisterly as they passed through the dark halls. "To the best of my knowledge, Yuki Kuran is dead and has been since the attack on The Vale."

"Truthfully, I do not know what fate she met, but the princess was alive after the attack and we agreed to meet here if we were separated," the blond allowed himself to say with some reluctance. He felt his heart sink. He had been hoping that Yuki was here, safe, but it seemed that she had not arrived, after all...

"I do hope she is alive and finds her way here." There was an ominous undertone to that voice that Hanabusa instantly disliked. "In the interim, you are welcome to stay here."

"Thank you," the knight replied, feeling a touch of both uncertainty and relief.

"Out of curiosity, what are you going to do with this morsel," Rido´s eyes touched over the archer once more, "when you return home?"

"Obviously when I tire of her I will send her on her way," Hanabusa answered as callously as he was able, though his heart clenched painfully around those false, hurtful words. He spared a glance at Yori, but fortunately she seemed to disregard this sentence entirely, her attention focused elsewhere.

"Do send her my way, will you?" the Kuran lord murmured, voice velvety as he gazed on the auburn-haired noble.

"Certainly," the knight shrugged nonchalantly, which seemed to please Rido immensely. Meanwhile, the blond fought down the urge to slap the Kuran lord across the face for such blatant disrespect to Yori, jaw tightening as his teeth clenched and his fist tensed longingly. Unfortunately, he was forced to restrain himself and wonder just how far the depths of this man´s lechery sunk.

Hanabusa had heard many things about Rido Kuran. That he had murdered his brother and his brother´s wife in cold blood, that he had potentially killed all of his previous wives, that he had disowned his son Kaname. But the knight had never realized the depths of this Kuran´s rotted, grotesque semblance of a heart. It seemed that the Kuran lord was a lascivious, coarse man as well as a cruel one. However, the knight did not have much choice but to wait here for Yuki. At the very least, Rido would give them a place to stay and food for their starved bellies.

As if on cue, the dark-haired lord paused outside a rounded wooden entryway and said, "This is your room. There is a smaller room attached to it with a door around the corner where your woman can sleep if you choose. That particular door between the chambers locks only from your side. Down the hall is one of the courtyards, but the servants will show you that as well as where you might bathe. I´ll see to it that a change of clothes is brought to you as well. If there´s not a servant in the room already, one should be here momentarily. I have other business to attend to at the moment, but I would like to chat more at dinner."

"Perfect," Hanabusa responded immediately, not wanting to strain their host´s hospitality on the first day.

"Excellent. I´ll send a servant for you when the meal is prepared. Until then," Rido gave a brief wave and sauntered down the hall with one last lustful look directed at Sayori, who was turning the knob to the door as soon as the lord´s back was turned. The Aidou lord took a slow breath to keep his seething emotions from surfacing before the older lord had turned the corner.

Hanabusa wasn´t sure what to expect as they stepped into the room. Given the inhospitable exterior of the castle, he had half-expected to encounter a simple chamber. Instead, it seemed that Rido´s personality valued comfort and pleasure above all else, and the bedroom reflected that in its splendor. Thin silk tapestries depicting lavish scenes of food and revelry adorned the walls, and perfumed plum carpets entirely covered the stone floor. Against the far wall was an enormous feather bed, its head and footboards engraved with ocean scenes and its corner posts alive with various carved aquatic creatures. In front of the empty fireplace resided an equally fine table, its legs resembling great coiled sea serpents. Even the chairs appeared to be covered in seashells and underwater plants. On either side of the bed were shuttered, narrow windows, which had been flung open to view the summer gardens in the courtyard. It was marvelous, and made even more so after weeks of hard travel. Strangely, Hanabusa was almost stricken by the vastness and exorbitance of it all. It seemed superfluous after sleeping on the ground every couple of nights and never knowing when they would have their next meal.

Yori was still absorbing the finery of the room when Hanabusa moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her as he whispered, "I´m sorry." Those two words were not nearly enough to express his feelings on Rido Kuran and the conversation they had exchanged.

She turned her head, confusion apparent as she asked, "What?"

"I hope you know I didn´t mean any of-"

The Wakaba noble cut him off, "Of course I know. Rido is foul, but I´m happy that we can stay together. I just hope Yuki makes it here…"

"Me too…," he murmured, leaning over to kiss the corner of her jaw before he released her.

"Do you suppose I´m invited to dinner, too?" Yori asked curiously, moving about the room as she inspected the carvings and tapestries.

"I…actually am not sure. We will have to ask a servant when they come," he admitted with a shake of his head. He wasn't sure if he _wanted_ Yori in Rido's presence again. He didn't know if he could restrain his anger again if the Kuran lord continued treating Yori that way.

"I don´t want to leave you alone, but I almost hope I´m not…," she admitted with a wry smile.

He laughed, offering, "If you are invited, I can make an excuse for you so you don't have to come."

"Make it a vile one. It will put him in an excellent humor." She pursed her lips. "I can see why Kaien exiled him to the coast. He was probably hoping he'd swim far away and never return."

"At the very least, we should be safe here for the time being as long as I cater to his expectations," Hanabusa muttered.

"Yes. But be careful. No one considers Rido to be sane, and there's no telling what he might do," the archer cautioned.

Hanabusa nodded as a knock resounded on the door. "Well," he said, "I guess we will find out." And, that said, he went to open the door. At the very least, they would be clean, fed, and sleep on a real mattress with a roof over their heads. More importantly, he and Yori could stay together, and there was nothing the knight wanted more.

* * *

 **AN:** Finally Rido appears! Like 50 chapters after they said they were headed there...LOL. In...um...honor? of his appearance, next week will be the bonus chapter I promised, and there you can read all about the most vile man in the Nine Kingdoms.


	79. Special Chapter: Dark Memories

**AN:** It's here, the long-promised bonus chapter, starring everyone's least favorite noble, Rido Kuran. I have to admit, this isn't a very pleasant chapter. Like the previous bonus chapter, this one is told from Kaien's point of view in the past, not long after Rima and Shiki visit him (as we saw in the first bonus chapter). One semi-important thing I'd like to say is that I included a "chapel" in this chapter. This is problematic because I don't want to go into religion at all with this fic, but given the setting of the scene, I felt something resembling a "chapel" would make a good backdrop. Cutting out religion was an intentional decision on my part...because I don't really want to invent one out of laziness (a great reason, I know!). It would make this fic even longer and more complicated. However, we still have seen 2 funerals in previous chapters and now I've included this chapel thing, so bleh. Anyway, don't read anything into it. Religion is entirely unimportant in this fic, and I chose a kind of traditional European/medieval setting (the chapel vs a temple or mosque, etc) to match the era of the fic. Thinking of _Game of Thrones_ , I would probably have gone with polytheism if I were to give them a religion but...too much work. Sorry!

Another small sidenote but I may have taken some liberties with Juri and Shiki's mom's characters... Heh.

 **WARNING:** For sexual violence.

(I know anyone who's read _Game of Thrones_ will know that sexual abuse should be expected, and the theme has come up before, but if you're sensitive to the topic, you may want to skim over those parts (I wasn't explicit though)).

* * *

Kaien stopped in front of the lilies growing clustered together in the garden. It was early morning and the dew still clung to their petals like unshed tears. A melancholy smile whisked the corners of the king's mouth upwards. Today... He paused, feeling the burden of the years heavy against his shoulders, heavier than his cape or the crown on his head. Today was Juri's birthday... How old would she have been today? He couldn't remember.

Juri... The memory of her was still bitter and mournful. She had been the beloved jewel of the court, adored by all, himself included. And while he didn't claim to love her the way his brothers had, he had certainly cherished her as a sister-in-law and as a friend. Walking here in the garden, he still felt her presence as though she was beside him. Her aura had been soft, warm, like the sun's rays peeking out from behind a cloud. Sometimes, he could still hear the whisper of her laugh, feel the touch of her hand at his elbow as they re-explored the familiar paths of the garden.

He missed her more even than his own brother, Haruka; that gentle, patient man who had never wronged anyone. Haruka had done nothing worthy of his horrific death. He had simply loved, and been loved in return. That was all anyone wanted. Sometimes, watching Yuki and her knight Zero together, he was reminded of them. Sometimes, he dared to want Yuki to follow the same path her mother had, the one that stemmed from the heart rather than from duty or honor. Yet...he was also painfully aware of how that decision had ended...

Kaien preferred to remember them shrouded in sunlight, with Juri's laugh ringing out like a clear bell, a touch too loud for the court, and Haruka smiling softly beside her, their elbows brushing in a subtle display of intimacy. The king chuckled. He remembered too well how Juri had at first received his older brothers. Brought to the castle so young to be Rido's bride, she had only loathing for her fiancé and his brother, a loathing which she had fortunately spared Kaien. He could still recall her sharp words and baleful stares quite clearly...

 _At first, Juri had disliked both Rido and Haruka's company. She had stayed at Kaien's side, flippantly ignoring his two older half-brothers. Haruka, for his part, had seemed untroubled. On the other hand, Rido made his irritation clear, stating that Juri would soon belong to him and had no right to walk at another man's side, be it his brother or not. But perhaps Juri felt safest there, beside the youngest Kuran brother. After all, Kaien had been barely more than a boy at that point in time and still half a head shorter than the Kuran lady._

 _But little by little, he had seen her demeanor change towards his brother. Little by little, Haruka's constant, gentle presence had chipped away at her resentment towards the family that had locked her into a betrothal at the tender age of 15. That day in the gardens, when she'd insisted on going out to play in spite of the rain and gone out without servant or umbrella, Haruka had quietly followed her, holding the parasol over her head each time she stopped to admire a bloom. Kaien was amused by Juri's indignant glares; he'd caught sight of them from the window of an upper corridor and opened it just enough so that he might eavesdrop. Haruka, of course, said nothing in response to Juri's cold reaction, but continued all the same._

 _"Stop following me," Juri said crossly after a few moments, shooting a glare over her shoulder._

 _The young Kuran lady stalked the gardens, growing irritable and scooting away each time Haruka approached her with the umbrella in hand. Kaien secretly rooted for his brother to win her over and allow him to shield her from the rain; not because he wanted them to get along so much as that he didn't want Juri to catch cold. He considered the girl his friend and hated to think of her miserable in bed as a result of her rainy outing._

 _"Geez, you're really annoying, you know that?" Juri folded her arms, glare intensifying as her momentary pause gave Haruka the opportunity to position the umbrella over her head once more. "Every day, you're always following me around, always doing me favors I don't want or need done! Then you always say you want to be friends. Well, I don't want to be friends. I really dislike you!"_

 _Haruka only smiled softly in response. Kaien pitied his brother, then. That wasn't really fair. Haruka was good, unlike Rido. Perhaps Haruka was exasperating her, but his intentions were pure. Kaien hoped that they were able to get along eventually...after all, they were all going to be related by marriage soon, weren't they?_

 _"I hate that most of all. You're always acting so kind, it really makes me angry," Juri continued. "You'll just put up with anything, is that it? Well, if you have something to say to me, just say it now."_

 _The corners of Haruka's eyes creased as his smile deepened, and he merely stated, "I just...wanted to share an umbrella with you."_

 _Juri abruptly turned away from him then, seemingly enraged, but from his vantage at the window, Kaien saw the uncharacteristic flush that reddened her cheeks. At last, Haruka's mild sweetness was beginning to sway her. That day in the garden was the turning point, not just for them, but for all of the Kuran family. At the time, Kaien hadn't understood just how much their slowly evolving relationship would eventually change things. He hadn't understood that, by falling in love with Haruka, a timer was set on her life._

 _A year later, at the celebration thrown for her 16th birthday, it became clear to Kaien, as it must have to everyone else, just who was worthy of Juri's hand. Juri danced with Kaien, of course, jesting and gossiping with him even though he was still a wispy, young lad. She tolerated a dance with Rido, her face a mask, ignoring all of his sultry glances and murmured remarks. But with Haruka... With Haruka, her eyes lit up; she radiated happiness and peace. The space around them was intimate, and the whispered conversation between them a secret for them alone. She ended the dance glowing, and two weeks later she was engaged to Haruka instead._

 _Two weeks later, and Rido let his wrath be known. He'd done unspeakable things to the servants in a fit of rage and pleaded, shouted at, and threatened Juri, but it was to no avail. In a year's time, her heart fully belonged to Haruka. And Rido had not sunken low enough yet to harm his own brother. Rido had appealed to their father, but the man was adamant. To avoid potential scandal in the future, wasn't it best to betroth an equally beneficial couple who were obviously infatuated? Kaien agreed wholeheartedly; Rido, not at all. He wanted what was promised to him...wanted it so badly that he'd spend over a decade trying to take it back._

Kaien winced, recalling just how dreadful Rido's unbridled wrath had been. Even now, banished and far away from the capital, his name still caused an automatic, visceral reaction in most of the lords and ladies. Following the pathways as they wound through the gardens and back into the stone halls of the castle, the king wondered how much he hadn't witnessed of Rido's anger. Surely Haruka and Juri both had experienced far more of it than he had seen or known...

A face flashed through his mind, cloudy, shrouded in the mist of memory. Mahogany hair, bright blue eyes, an angular but beautiful face... The name came to him quite suddenly. That face belonged to the Lady Nana Shiki, Rido's third wife and the mother of his second son, the very same one who had come to have tea with him not long ago. The son's story should have been tragic enough, but perhaps it was Nana's that was more tragic still...

He had known her as a close friend of Juri's, younger and new to the court. She came from a very small house in Soshiyu and it had been very strange when she had suddenly been wed to his brother, the heir of the, at the time, Eight Kingdoms. Kaien could only surmise that something terrible had befallen the Shiki noble during her stay. But she was beautiful and close to Juri...two characteristics that would have put any woman in danger when Rido Kuran was at court. What had happened to her? Why had she been wed so abruptly to Rido? He would likely never know the answers, even as he knew their ending: that Rido had burned her alive on charges of witchcraft. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder...

 _Nana stepped inside the dome-ceilinged chapel that the royal family used for weddings and funerals. Against the soft carpet leading down to the altar, her high-heeled shoes made no sound. Thinking she was alone, she took a step forward before she heard the low noise of a whisper. She hadn't thought that anyone besides the royal family had access to this place. A servant, perhaps, cleaning? She squinted through the candlelight._

 _Ahead, at the end of the carpeted aisle, hushed voices spoke. Silhouetted against the altar at the far end, Nana easily recognized her dear friend, the Lady Juri Kuran. Beside her, she thought it must be her brother-in-law, Lord Rido, the heir of the Eight Kingdoms. Nana frowned, suddenly remembering what Juri had told her before, that Rido was still enraged that Juri had married his brother instead of him. Maybe Juri was in trouble, then? Lady Shiki hadn't yet been seen. Quickly, she ducked down behind the last row of benches, cautiously spying from over the top of the bench directly in front of her. Now that she thought about it, Juri usually came to the chapel at this time to grieve the loss of her infant son. For Rido to accompany her seemed...odd._

 _"I am so terribly sorry for your loss. You don't know how it pains me to see you thus," Rido was saying, confirming Nana's suspicion that Juri was indeed here to mourn her baby._

 _"Don't try to comfort me with your false words," Juri answered scornfully. "You named your own son Kaname to spite me."_

 _"No... I did it to honor the memory of the child you lost..." Rido protested. Even from this distance, Nana could see how his face twisted. Was he in earnest, then? Somehow, she still doubted him._

 _"I don't believe you."_

 _"Juri, please, you know I've only loved you," the Kuran lord pleaded. "I know your heart belongs to Haruka...but still...I have never stopped loving you. I would never do anything to wound you in such a way."_

 _The dark-haired beauty grew quiet, eyes pensive and full as she took in the assortment of flowers in the chapel. Nana couldn't discern her thoughts, but she knew that they must be heavy and aggrieved. For a moment, the pair was silent, and Nana thought perhaps they had reached a peaceful resolution to their chat. From across the room, the subtle change in Rido's expression was nearly undetectable._

 _The heir to the throne placed a hand on the Kuran lady's shoulder, "Juri... Rather than mourn like this, why not have another child?"_

 _Juri shook her head almost violently. "I...I can't. Every time...I just imagine all the ways that it could die again, like my son... I don't think I could take losing another one." Nana felt her own heart clench in sympathy. She was still very young and unmarried and had never had a child, but the pain in her friend's voice was palpable._

 _A pause, and then, "If you think like that... I could give you a son...one that you wouldn't have to compare with yours, because it wouldn't be Haruka's... No one need know... Haruka is my brother, no one would question who the child's father was..."_

 _The Kuran lady merely shook her head._

 _"Please, Juri. I love you. Let me help you. Let me love you." Rido reached out, and Nana held back a gasp of indignation as his fingers touched against Juri's thigh._

 _On cue, her friend jerked away roughly. "Don't touch me. I love Haruka. I would never betray him."_

 _Rido was undeterred by her rejection. "I would be a better lover than Haruka could ever be. He's too gentle. I know what the body truly desires. ...I could show you." His hand reached towards her again._

 _Immediately, Juri slapped the offending limb away. "I said no, Rido. I don't want to feel your dirty hands, or hear your dirty words, or even look at your dirty expression. Leave me be."_

 _"Don't say that. I'll show you, I'll show you what it means to be loved."_

 _Nana sucked in a gasp as Rido abruptly pulled the Kuran lady towards him, kissing her forcefully even as she fought to break free. "Stop!" Juri cried as she managed to pull away, only to have Rido shove her to the ground. Nana couldn't see what was happening from her hiding place behind the benches, but she could hear them scuffling and Juri shouting, "No, stop!" and "Get off me!" It was clear what Rido's intentions were, and clearer still that Juri wasn't strong enough to save herself._

 _Nana froze, hands shaking. If she didn't do something fast, Lord Rido would violate her friend right here before her eyes, right here in this very chapel. She waited, but the guards outside did not enter, perhaps not hearing or perhaps not caring. Or maybe they were afraid, like her. Her nerves shook, her legs felt weak, but Juri's cries of protest and indignation lent her strength. She couldn't allow Juri to suffer such a fate. Taking a deep breath, she stood, stepped out of the shadows, and found the will to say loudly and steadily, "Lord Rido. I'll give you one opportunity to release the Lady Juri and leave this place before I summon the guards."_

 _Her eyes found the pair and she flinched. If she had waited any longer, it may have been too late. Rido's demonic eyes burned through her, enflamed with rage at the interruption. Then, in a hiss of anger and disgust, he pushed himself to his feet, muttering something beneath his breath that she didn't catch. As he left, he said nothing, but the vitriolic glare he aimed at her as he strode past was tactile. She felt it smoke against her skin as he slid past._

 _As soon as he was gone, Nana hurried to Juri's side. "Are you alright?"_

 _"Yes...yes I'm okay..." Juri was straightening out her dress, and allowed her friend to help her to her feet. The Shiki noble embraced her friend tightly and heard her quietly say, "I'm okay...since you came..."_

 _Nana frowned in worry. "Has this happened before?"_

 _Juri shook her head. "Not like this..."_

 _"From now on, when Rido is here, you shouldn't be alone... I'll stay with you," the Shiki lady offered._

 _"Perhaps you're right...," Juri answered gravely. "But I won't be afraid of Rido. He will never take me from Haruka."_

 _At the time, Nana had thought her friend brave, if a little foolish. Nevertheless, Nana respected Juri's wish not to back down, no matter the threat that Rido posed. Ironically, it was not Juri who most needed protection, but herself instead. She hadn't expected Rido to visit her that very same night. She'd been brushing her hair, preparing for bed, when suddenly the lock turned, the door opened, and there, casually standing in its frame, was none other than Lord Rido Kuran, darkly handsome, eyes menacing as they stared at her from across the room._

 _"L-lord Rido! How did you get in here?" she gasped, clasping her pale arms tightly around herself to shield her body, clad only in a flimsy nightgown, from view._

 _The Kuran lord chuckled enigmatically, tossing up an iron key and catching it, then depositing it into his pocket. "It is a relatively simple matter to procure any key in the castle...when you're the heir to the throne."_

 _Nana swallowed, forcing herself to remain calm. There must be a reason for this unexpected intrusion. Likely, she had angered him when she'd interfered between him and Juri in the chapel. Briefly, she contemplated screaming, although she knew such an action would not only further provoke Rido's rage, but also accomplish nothing. As the daughter of a very minor lord, she did not have any personal guards to defend her chambers overnight. While there were guards also patrolling the halls, the likelihood of one being outside at the very moment she cried out was improbable. Furthermore, what guard would challenge the crown prince? The best route was to try and pacify Rido so that he'd leave._

 _"I apologize if I was impudent earlier. I thought perhaps Juri did not wish your advances..."_

 _"Of course she didn't wish them. She has never loved me." Those obscure, mismatched eyes focused on her. "Nevertheless...you took away my one opportunity to be with the woman I love. How are you going to make it up to me?"_

 _"I'm very sorry," she began, frightened, even though she wasn't sorry at all. She would save Juri again in a heartbeat._

 _He cut her apology off. "Words? You'll give me words. They mean nothing."_

 _He stepped towards her then, and she immediately backed away, heart pounding like a rabbit's. The nerves in her body jolted a warning as her back collided into the wall. A moment later, and he was there in front of her, blocking out the light of the lanterns, casting a shadow over her that she feared would consume her. He jerked her arms away from her body, pinning them against the wall as his gaze roamed greedily over her figure. To her horror, the dressing gown did not leave much to the imagination, clinging to her curves and making them all too apparent to the enraged lord before her._

 _"I-I told you I was sorry," she repeated feebly._

 _He smirked, a twitch of amusement that speared through her. Leaning in, he whispered the question into her ear, "Tell me, m'Lady, are you a virgin?"_

 _Nana trembled uncontrollably. Should she scream now? Would he anticipate that? Hurt her worse if she did? If the servants came back to turn out the lanterns, would they call the guards? Would they try to help her? The thought came again. ...Would either the servants or the guards really protect her, an insignificant minor noble, against the heir to the throne himself? No, she already knew the answer. They would not. Her jaw locked shut, terrified and unable to answer._

 _"I asked you a question," he purred, lips against her neck now as his right hand released her arm, fingers tracing the curve of her breast. She tried to jerk away, whimpering pitifully in protest, but there was nowhere to go. Even if she was able to break free, where could she run? Rido was both stronger and faster than her._

 _Trapped, she nodded mutely, weakly attempting to push him away with her unrestrained hand. He laughed. Yes. It was laughable, her pathetic vulnerability. She had no way to resist him. He knew that as well as she did. Her could punish her in more ways than one if she refused him. He could punish her entire family, snuff them out into dust. She was not a powerful noble like Juri. What could she do in this situation? Her mind fumbled for a way out, frantic as a mouse trapped in a maze._

 _"What was your name?" He paused, searching for the answer. "Yes, it was Nana Shiki. That's it. Well, Nana, you won't be able to claim that after tonight. For depriving me of my earlier pleasure, I think an adequate payment would be letting me enjoy your body to my heart's content as many times as I wish, don't you agree?"_

 _She had to try. She opened her mouth, ready to scream, only to have it muffled by Rido's mouth. She struggled, tried to push him away, but he was still laughing, and so very strong. She felt helpless, powerless. Was this how Juri had felt, there in the chapel? She was glad to have rescued her friend from this. She wouldn't have wanted it for anyone, much less herself. But here she was, unable to save herself._

 _"Try to scream again, and you'll be punished worse," he threatened against her lips. His hands grasped the delicate material of her nightgown, and through a deafening static she was drowned in the sound of it ripping. The sound was reminiscent of the pent-up screams that she was forced to swallow down like bitter vile. It was a sound that would haunt her for the remainder of her short life._

 _The rest she preferred not to remember. Only, sometimes, in the dead of night, she could still hear him panting in her ear, "Juri...Juri..." And other times, alone in the dark, she found the tears that had escaped her that cursed night. Worse, deflowered and broken, her parents had done the only thing they could have. They betrothed her to her rapist. To Rido Kuran. To the one man she despised more than any other. And he, the heir to the throne and a High Lord, agreed to this match for one reason and one reason alone: it amused him. It pleased him to torment her. To see the fear and loathing in her eyes. To perform unspeakable actions on her body, until she felt like she would break into a million tiny pieces._

 _And after they were wed...after so much torment...when inevitably she had found herself pregnant, she'd hoped that her unborn child would bring her happiness, would preserve her sanity. How little she had known. In the end, that child was her undoing..._

Kaien shook his head. Although he would never know what had happened to Nana within these walls, he did know that the Shiki family was one forever bound by tragedy. Their family had a history of losing things. They'd lost their power, their money; now, even their nobility. They'd fallen completely and utterly from the court. Nana had been the last of them to enjoy the comforts of noble life before the family had gone bankrupt. But perhaps more interesting was that the Shikis also had a history of magic... More than one seer had been born into that family, but once the Kurans had seized power from the Kiryuus, magic had been so stigmatized that rather than a blessing, that trace of magic had become a curse. It certainly had for Nana's son...

Senri... The boy had predicted the king's early death. That was an ill tiding for sure, although not entirely unexpected. Members of the royal family did not enjoy long lives, in most cases. For Haruka and Juri, too... Their lives had been cut very short... Some days, Kaien regretted that Rido's sentence for their murders had been so light. After all, Rido had regained a great deal of his lost wealth in the south...regained it and carved himself out his own kingdom.

Kaien's footsteps took him past the room that had once been the royal library, and felt a pain spasm through his chest. That was the room that Juri had been murdered in, not long after Yuki was born... Although one of his first actions as king had been to move the library to another room, the space remained... The door gaped at him from across the hall and he felt his fingers clench into a fist at the memory of the blood stains in the wooden floor. Rido had loved Juri...loved her to death... The floors had been replaced, but nothing could remove the stains from Kaien's mind...

 _Rido found her in the private library reserved for the royal family. "Juri," the name stumbled from his lips, which jilted up a touch manically. He could still freshly recall the knife jerking in and out of Haruka's already-still form, could still freshly recall the look of utter betrayal in his brother's dying eyes. He felt no remorse. Haruka may have been his brother, but he had also been the one obstacle standing between Rido and his happiness._

 _He reached for Juri, stained with her husband's blood. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the crimson under his nails and on his sleeves and she backed away, confused and frightened, but he did not stop approaching. "Stay away from me. What have you done?" Her voice rose, quaking._

 _"Finally, you're mine," he whispered._

 _She shook her head vehemently, bafflement and anger creasing her forehead. He was cornering her, his bloodied apparel and the manic gleam in his eyes more threatening than anything he might have said. She attempted to dodge around him, but he was faster. As his hands locked around her slender arms and jerked her back towards him, she let out a self-defensive scream. "Let me go!" she shouted, but there was no answering knight at the door to defend her. Seconds later, and Rido's hand connected with her jaw, stunning her._

 _He was done treating her gently, done allowing her to refuse him time and time again. He shook her forcefully. "Shut up. Don't scream."_

 _Recovering herself quickly, Juri fought with all of her strength to free herself. Compared to a trained swordsman, however...it wasn't long before the young woman had been completely overpowered. A second scream for help was followed by a second strike from her assailant, this one harder than the first. It was enough time for the Kuran lord to begin forcing the laces of her bodice apart as he breathed, "Finally, I can enjoy you..."_

 _"Haruka...," Juri cried desperately, tears staining her lovely cheeks._

 _That manic smirk twitched up to reclaim his lips. "Haruka's dead. You're mine now, Juri."_

 _Those whispered words drained everything from the woman's body. She didn't resist, didn't even cry out as Rido abused her limp form. Haruka was dead. The rest didn't matter. The blood that colored the heir's previously immaculate, unwrinkled tunic was undoubtedly his brother's. Just as the unblemished white of the material would never return, neither would her smile._

 _After, Rido detailed his twisted fantasies of their future together. How she'd be his bride. How he'd lock her away in one of the towers, for only his eyes. How he'd enjoy her every night. How he'd kill her infant child, but replace it with more of his children than she could count. How they'd be together always, for the rest of their days. How she would never escape him. How it was already being arranged, exactly as he desired._

 _Blood. Rido couldn't see where it had come from. It bubbled over him, hot and red. He hadn't even seen her draw the knife from his belt. The gash across her neck gaped open, raw and violent. In one wordless, fluid motion, she had severed the thread of her own life._ _Rido knocked the knife away desperately, but it was too late. He could only hold her body as she slowly, agonizingly died in his arms, covering both of them with dark blood, drowning out the stains of Haruka's life on the Kuran lord's tunic._

 _The guards found Rido cradling her lifeless body, sobbing, "I killed her." The words were taken as a confession and the trial following the murder convicted Rido Kuran guilty on two counts of murder, neither of which he denied. After that, his exile was imminent, as was Kaien's ascension to the throne._

Kaien forced himself to walk away from that door. No one had ever thought that Rido would kill the woman he loved, but he'd done exactly that. He'd violated her and cut her throat himself after stabbing Haruka to death in his bedchamber. Perhaps the eldest Kuran brother had been thinking something like, ' _If I can't have her, no one can.'_ Yet, sometimes Kaien thought it didn't make sense. Rido could have killed Haruka and tried to take Juri for himself...yet he'd killed her instead. That was the only proof Kaien needed to know that his half-brother was completely, utterly mad.

At least, even if all else had been horrific and bloody, Yuki had survived. Rido hadn't killed the child. And although Kaien had lost a brother and a sister-in-law, he'd gained a daughter, one that he loved and cherished with all of his heart. Yuki was the light in all the darkness that shrouded the capital and the Kuran family. Like her mother, Yuki was loved by all who knew her. Kaien hoped that she was able to live a happy and full life. To ensure that her future was bright, he'd even enlisted the help of Nana's son and his druid companion...

For now, his greatest desire was to spend as much time as he could with his daughter. The best days were those spent at the summer house, along with Lord Hakuba and his daughter Sayori. Those days of watermelons and sunshine were truly the best during the long, long year. He was already looking forward to this year's venture. To the cool water of the lake, to Lord Hakuba's company, to summer fruits, to time away from the court, and most of all...to seeing his daughter smiling freely as she played with the Lady Sayori Wakaba. Although Kaien was never privy to their secret conversations, which were always conducted as they sat on the docks where the fishing boats were tied, he could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she was fully and completely enjoying herself...

 _"I have a new knight," Yuki whispered excitedly to Yori as she nibbled the corner of a slice of melon. "I didn't write you about it because I wanted to tell you myself."_

 _"Really? What's he like?" Yori asked, idly kicking her legs back and forth through the crystalline waters of the lake._

 _"Well, when my adopted father first brought him, he was very angry all the time. He was a fighter in the pits."_

 _"Sounds awful." Yori blanched._

 _"Yes... But now he's changed a little." The princess considered the young man for a moment before nodding and adding, "I think he's nice."_

 _"What's he look like?"_

 _"He's tall. Silver hair. He's a Kiryuu."_

 _"Oh, I thought all the Kiryuus were dead. At least, that's what Father said." Yori seemed surprised._

 _"Well, then I guess he's the last of them." Yuki leaned in to confide, "He's very handsome."_

 _Yori giggled. "Is he as arrogant as your first knight?"_

 _"Oh, there's no comparison." Yuki rolled her eyes. "He's_ nothing _like Hanabusa. They fight all the time."_

 _"I'd like to meet them someday."_

 _"Someday, you will, I'm sure. The next time you visit the court I'll introduce you. You'll like Zero-my new knight. I don't know about Hanabusa."_

 _"You said Hanabusa was a High Lord, right? Imagine if your father betrothed you." Yori snickered._

 _"That'd be the worst," Yuki groaned. "He's intolerable sometimes."_

 _"Imagine being his wife," Yori prodded, laughing at the expression of horror on her friend's face._

 _"No, stop, you'll give me a stomachache just thinking about it!" Yuki joined in laughing._

 _Kaien interrupted them then, calling, "Yuki, Yori, we're heading back to the house!"_

 _The girls stood. Yuki tossed the rind of her melon into the water, where it sank with a satisfying splash, and then, clasping hands, the two friends made their way back to their fathers._

Kaien ended his walk in the practice yard, where he saw the princess cheering on her knights, who were sparring with wooden swords. He smiled. Often, looking at Yuki, Juri surfaced from among his faded memories and his heart skipped a beat. She had been, after all, one of his closest friends. Juri had wanted, like him, to end the stigma against magic and against the Kiryuus. When he'd told her that, how one day he would like to bring the Kiryuu and Kuran families together again, this time in friendship, she had thought it a lovely plan. Too lovely, she'd said, because the houses and their old rivalries were like fossils, never changing. However, she'd still agreed that it would be nice...a good future plan...

Juri was gone, but she lived on through her daughter. And, despite all the tragedy, despite the circumstances of her parents' deaths...Yuki transformed all his sadness into happiness. Yuki made the burden of the crown and the kingdoms worth it. He wanted to quickly return to the summer house, to eat mangos and ice cream and walk around the town arm-in-arm with his daughter in the warm sunshine. And in spite of the seer's warning, he hoped that he could continue to enjoy the time with his adopted daughter for a while yet...

* * *

 **AN:** Anyone like Rido yet? What? You don't? -Gasp.- BLASPHEMY. Lol jk he needs to get fed to the dinosaur. Also if you're thinking the guards are lax, I was thinking of Joffrey in GOT and how the guards are kinda forced to be complicit in all of his horrible deeds, mainly cuz they don't want their heads chopped off.

Well. Wasn't that just SUCH a pleasant read? You're welcome. (Lol).


	80. 80 Maria

**MARIA**

It was just past dawn. The sun was creeping over the horizon, sending tendrils of red-gold light groping across the grey, shadowed cityscape. The stars had only just begun to fade into slumber, their gleaming lights dusty with the morning. Maria, wearing the shape of a nighthawk, darted low over the castle wall, startling one of the drowsy guards who slumped there, drifting in and out of sleep. Somewhere in the center of the castle a soft _thump_ was heard. The warm scent of fresh-spilled blood wafted to her sensitive nostrils, and she wove through the towers to the center courtyards.

What could it be? The smell was too strong for a rat or a mouse, or even one of the hunting hounds, though their kennels were in the back beside the stables and Maria doubted anyone had taken one out this early. The hawk within her was curious, and she obliged it by swooping lower, eyes keenly scanning the ground. Perhaps Kaname had seen fit to dispose of another courtier. Or perhaps two of the guards had gotten into some sort of drunken brawl. Accidents happened sometimes, as well...

Then she saw it. A tangled mess of limbs and fabric and flesh, underscored by a spreading pool of deepest crimson and crowned with a splotch of golden tresses. The body was mangled, splattered with scarlet against pale white, milky skin. Above, the king's tower loomed, a foreboding, silent sentinel that bore witness to this travesty. Maria flew up to the gaping tower window. The glass was flung wide, haphazardly, and inside she saw that the wide, canopied bed was still neatly ordered on one side. The king had never come to bed. A glint of light caught the Hio girl's eye, and she glanced to one side to see the queen's crown resting beneath a wooden table at a peculiar angle, as though it had been flung across the room. The royal couple had only been wed a week.

Beneath her, a servant screamed. Maria dove down, alighting in one of the trees within the courtyard where Tsukiko's body was broken and strewn like a discarded doll. In moments, more servants had clustered around the corpse. A matronly older woman fainted in the grass. Guards came, clearing a circle around the scene, and at last, face ghastly pale, mouth a straight gash across his face, Kaname rushed into the area, followed closely by Seiren. Maria registered the brief look of shock that flickered in the Bloodguard's eyes and surmised that neither Kaname nor his assassin guard had taken part in this.

"Move aside," Kaname whispered in a scratch of a voice. Judging by the dark circles beneath his eyes, he hadn't slept at all this night.

The crowd parted for the king, who knelt beside his new bride. Maria remembered Tsukiko the night before her wedding, pale and trembling and grief-stricken. And she remembered her after the wedding, how she had withdrawn within herself a little more each night, her eyes wide and frightened like those of a cornered mouse. The queen had quivered whenever Kaname had touched her, even just to take her hand and lead her from a room. Whatever Tsukiko had witnessed or whatever Kaname had done to her, it had been the young woman's undoing...

"There's nothing to be done, m'lord," one of the doctors, crouched beside the queen's body, murmured. "She's-"

A venomous glare from Kaname silenced the man. The king stood brusquely and quietly gave the order, "Clean this up. Start preparations for the funeral."

As the king rejoined Seiren, Maria's acute hearing picked out the words the guard directed at the dark-haired man: "This...complicates things."

"Indeed," Kaname agreed.

"The Aidous have other daughters, though..."

"Perhaps," the king allowed, and then the pair swept from the courtyard.

Dimly, through the haze of her trance and the distance between her mind and her body, Maria heard someone announce, "Breakfast, my Lady!"

The connection to the bird began to fray, snapping suddenly as Maria jolted back to her body. She blinked in confusion for a moment, attempting to reconcile the grisly courtyard scene with her current view of the ceiling. All of the fatigue her body had accumulated over the course of the night rushed back to her now. She was tired, very tired.. She hadn't slept much at all this night, and her body protested this loss. From the outer room, however, delectable odors were wafting through the door, distracting her temporarily from her weariness. After a moment, this door opened and a servant beamed at Maria, biding her a good morning as she moved to open the curtains and let in the sunlight.

Rubbing her eyes, the Hio girl frowned. She had to tell Shizuka what she had seen. Tragic as it was, perhaps now her cousin might actually consider a match with Kaname Kuran... Maria loathed the king, but murdering him..? And then, most importantly, if Shizuka was Kaname's wife, Ichiru would be free... Despite that, Maria would not betray her cousin. If Shizuka wanted revenge, Maria would do whatever she could to aid her. At least, Kaname did not deserve the crown he wore or the throne on which he sat. Whether or not he had caused Tsukiko's death, that much was obvious.

Rising, Maria felt abruptly sick, recalling with graphic detail the queen's ruined body. Suddenly, breakfast did not smell so appealing. Standing, Maria moved to the open window. Sometimes, only every now and again, she thought it would be easier to remain a bird...

* * *

 **AN:** Well, y'all were wondering what was gonna go wrong... Here it is. Sorry it's so short. For some reason, Maria sometimes ends up having chapters like this.

Also, in brighter news, I have an announcement! I finally decided to make a blog for all of the artwork associated with this fic. I'm just waiting on one more artist to give me her approval so I can upload her art there. In the meantime, you can check out the blog at: earthlyxangelxfanfiction .tumblr. c o m (without the spaces of course.) Anything new will be uploaded there, in one place so everything is easy to find and navigate. Thank you guys for all of the support, it really means a lot!


	81. 81 Rima

**RIMA**

Thunder saturated the air, the rolling melody of cloud upon cloud. The livid sky was dark, interspersed by jagged bolts of lightning that streaked across the landscape, brightening the area momentarily. Two shadowed figures fled under those roiling clouds to the protection of a stretch of sullen, gray-wooded pine trees that marked the border between the Amaranthine Peaks and Soshiyu. Rain pounded rhythmically on the ground, echoing the thunder, punctuating the lightning. Curiously untouched by the downpour, the pair leaned against a trunk of peeling bark, assessing the solitary manor that stood before them.

The building itself was relatively small for a manor, though the grounds were sprawling. The walls had perhaps at one point been a clean and perfect white, but now they were mottled gray with stains of deeper, darker colors and with green blots where a strange growth flourished in the shape of pale, groping, skeletal hands in the night. The windows were dusty and unlit, the curtains closed to shut out all reminders of the outside world and the light. The yard was overgrown with weeds and the door was chipped, the knob loose in its socket. The iron lattice on the gate depicted strange, foul creatures, their eyes seeming always to watch, to wait. A sense of malevolence permeated the area, an unshakable feeling that chilled the bones. The trees that occupied the yard were long and bare despite the season and their gnarled hands stretched outwards as though to suffocate all life. The only plant that greatly thrived aside from the weeds was the ivy, which fastened onto the walls and trees, almost black in color with grayish, withered blossoms that seemed to feed off the darkness.

The shadows vanished momentarily in the lightning, revealing Rima and Senri under a shimmery arc of energy that seemed to warp the air around them, shielding them from the rain. The pair was still, waiting. Minutes slid and crashed together, until at last, gradually, the storm faded into a web of intricate colors washing into the horizon. The wind had died down significantly, and the faint aroma of moisture and damp woods was brought by a caressing breeze. A sole, wispy cloud floated to gently blanket the moon and the world returned to grim shadow and moonlight, speckling the ground below where it filtered through the trees. Rima gestured, and the shield collapsed like a sigh, rippling through the trees like a rumor.

The mages started forward towards the manor, the pine needles crunching under their feet. Beneath his breath, Rima heard Senri murmur, "He doesn't encourage visitors, does he?"

"We don't exactly encourage them either," she pointed out, thinking of their appropriated manor. She was keen to return there to their bed.

Reaching the main door of the manor, Rima used the bronze knocker, which was fashioned in the form of a snake curled around itself, to knock loudly. A moment passed. Then two. Then three. Nothing stirred. She rapped on the door again, more insistently this time. But still nothing.

Scowling, Rima squinted at the door. She had not come all this way for naught. Nor had she battled a wraith, summoned from death, for nothing. So rather than wait or turn back, she tried the knob. To her surprise, it opened to a dim, somber foyer barren of furniture. Raising her eyebrows a fraction, she stepped inside. The air here seemed to be holding its breath, hushed and waiting. But she did not fear the man who lived here. She knew of only one person who knew Kaien and who bore the initials YT . And though they had never spoken, she was sure he was not the type to slit their throats _before_ asking questions.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Rima called. Naturally, nothing. Sighing, she turned to Senri. "Where is he?"

The seer closed his eyes, concentrating, and then pointed towards the hall directly in front of them. "There's someone straight ahead, in the last room."

Immediately, the druid set a course down the hall. She noticed that the walls had once been painted a lovely shade of cerulean. Now, however, they were faded and peeling, worn away to nearly grey. It was apparent that Kaien's friend had not taken the time to properly upkeep this manor. But then, no one had, not since its original inhabitants had fled during the border skirmishes between the Hios and the Kurosakis, who had so utterly lost that they had become a minor house in their former kingdom. They served the Kurans now. But that was years ago, when Rima had been just a child. What concerned her at present was the open door in front of her.

Peering through the door into an expansive room at the back of the house, Rima saw immediately that they had stumbled across an impressive library. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, towering above them until they touched the ceiling. Against the fourth wall was a comfortable leather sofa and armchair, accompanied by two cherry oak side tables. It was here, lounging in the chair and reading a slim book, that the mages at last found the object of their search. The man seated there was of indeterminable age, with curly, shoulder length jet-black hair and a single, blue eye. The other eye was hidden beneath a black leather eye patch. Jutting from his mouth was a toothpick, which he idly placed on the table beside him after turning the page of his book. Also on the table was a half-full bottle of rum.

As the mages stepped into the room, the man glanced up with apparent displeasure and growled, "You're still here?"

Rima squished her lips together indignantly. How impertinent. He hadn't been planning to greet them at all. Eyepatch, as she'd just decided to name him, was already proving to be a nuisance. When she didn't immediately reply, he shrugged and returned to his book, pointedly ignoring them both. Rima caught Senri's eyes, but the seer only gave her a wry smile.

"Are you the only one here?" Rima asked. She suspected the answer was yes, but it was better to be sure.

"Seems like, doesn't it? If I ignore you, will you leave?" Eyepatch did not even deign to look at them this time.

Rima sighed. "You are in possession of the secret Kaien Kuran left for us." The druid regarded the stranger warily.

"Ah. So that's why you're here." His demeanor became, if possible, even less friendly.

"How did you get past the phantom, Yagari Toga?" Rima demanded, addressing him by name now, hands perching on her hips questioningly.

"I see you found my note," he said simply, closing his book with an audible snap.

"Who are you?" Rima asked, frowning. She knew his name, she knew that he had been a friend of Kaien's and had served at the palace, but a mere friend could not have bested a wraith.

"The former..." He paused, then, "I'm the former master of the royal Guard."

She had known that much. "And something more, too, I'd wager," the druid remarked astutely, though she didn't press. Instead, she told him, "We need whatever Kaien hid in that cave to aid the princess and her knight on their quest."

"Tch." Yagari stood, putting his book back on the shelf and taking a swig from the bottle of rum on the table beside him. Then, folding his arms, he glared at them, commenting, "Listening to you makes me really want to throw you out and lock the door. I have no intention of helping those who only want to take the easy way out via magic. Go, struggle till you can struggle no more. Tell the princess that it's her life and her throne, even if it is covered in blood. Tell her not to run away and hide behind magic."

Rima's eyes sparked with electric heat. Eyepatch was really stubborn. "The princess didn't ask for this. It was our decision. We made a promise to Kaien that we intend to keep. You won't stand in our way. Or, have you completely thrown away your old loyalties to him?"

Yagari grew quiet, lone eye inching towards a colossal broadsword that was leaning against the wall. At last, his gaze flicked back to the druid as he murmured, "Every time my eye aches, I remember...our oath..." He took another long drink of the rum and muttered to himself, "But does it mean it's the right thing to do just because it's his wish?"

The golden-haired mage considered Eyepatch. The melancholy that infused the air around him, the alcohol at hand, the way he changed when Kaien was mentioned...somehow, Rima had the suspicion that they had been lovers. It was no secret to Rima, at least, that Kaien preferred male company. She ruminated on this thought, mulling it over and over. How could she use it to persuade the former guard to relinquish the magic they needed? Surely, he would help them if only she could invoke his emotions.

"Don't you remember Kaien's dream?" she inquired. "His goal? I'm sure he spoke to you of it, especially when he decided to rescue Zero Kiryuu from the slave pits."

"Of course," he scoffed. "He wanted to end the conflict between the Kurans and Kiryuus. No, between the world and the Kiryuus, even though it's a war that has been continuing in the darkness of history for generations."

"He wanted Yuki and Zero's unfettered hearts to become a bridge between the two houses. He brought them together for that purpose. That is why he rescued Zero, why he encouraged their relationship. And now, his dream is possible. It's finally attainable, after all this time. It's only a shame that he didn't live to see its fulfillment." She smiled inwardly. That should do the trick.

"I remember." His voice was gruff. "I made a solemn oath to him that I promised to always uphold, one to do whatever I could to protect that future he envisioned."

"Kaien was a pacifist," Rima pointed out. "That magic might have been crafted for a different purpose, but he intended to use it to prevent needless death. At least, that was what he told us."

"Is that so?" Eyepatch mumbled.

"Are you going to help us or not?" Rima finally demanded.

"Oh, very well." The man stood, running a finger along the spines of several books until he finally removed a dusty green volume. Opening it to a seemingly random page, he withdrew a folded sheet of paper and passed it to the druid.

Interest peaked, the golden-haired mage unfolded the sheet of paper. The paper contained a series of incantations illustrated with hand gestures. An enchantment. Flipping over the paper, she saw it was scrawled with the words ' _Dispel charm for weapons and armor. Powerful, cast with caution.'_ Intrigued, Rima inquired, "What does it do, exactly?"

"Cast it on a weapon and it will cut through magic. Cast it on armor, and it protects the wearer from magic. Something like that," Eyepatch explained. An image of Zero's vel vitrum sword flashed through the druid's mind. Yes, that would be perfect. Kaname's Bloodguard Seiren would be easily defeated with such an enchanted blade.

Quietly, Senri at last spoke to inquire, "How did you retrieve this spell? It was guarded by strong, ancient magic. A phantom, summoned from death..."

"That was trivial," Yagari muttered dismissively. Then, sighing, he lifted the eye patch to reveal that his eye was whole and intact. However, as they stared at it, Rima thought she glimpsed it flicker to crimson briefly. "I'm like you, I imagine. A seer." The patch was returned to its former position.

Senri hesitated for only a second, but it was enough for Rima to know that he was taken aback by this. "The patch... Do you need it?" There was a soft curiosity in the burgundy-haired mage's tone.

"A long time ago, I determined never to use my powers. I don't like magic. It's like cheating. I prefer to do things my way." The singular blue eye touched on the greatsword beside him once more, indicating just how he preferred to do things. "But I made an exception for that enchantment."

"But... An eyepatch can't prevent visions..." Senri frowned.

"It can. It's enchanted to seal them. Found it in a crypt," he grunted brusquely. Neither Rima nor Senri questioned why Yagari Toma had been in a crypt.

"Visions could not have defeated a shade such as that one," Senri pressed.

The former guard made a dismissive gesture. "How I dealt with the phantom is none of your business."

"Will you come with us, to rejoin Kaien's cause?" Rima queried.

Eyepatch predictably sprawled back into his chair, propping his feet on the table, rum in hand, and shook his head. "I'm done with all that," he answered. "I did my part, now get lost."

"If you change your mind, we'll be at Sunridge Fort," Rima informed the former guard. "It won't be difficult to find us."

"Good bye," Eyepatch grumbled, and the mages exchanged a glance before shrugging and turning to leave.

"Thank you," Rima told him, but the raven-haired man ignored her, thumbing through another book with intense, though most likely feigned, interest.

Once they were safely outside, the druid murmured, "Eyepatch was something."

"Eyepatch?" Senri quirked an eyebrow. "Fitting." Then, after a moment, "The Dawn Plains next, then?"

"Yes. We're doing a grand tour of the Nine Kingdoms this year, it seems," she quipped sarcastically. "But that is where we will await them."

Senri smiled. "I don't mind," he told her. Unspoken, his words translated to something akin to, " _I don't mind, because it's with you."_ The druid smiled back. She wasn't sure if they'd ever actually put their feelings into words. She'd never told him she loved him, or vice versa; it was simply understood. Of course, both of them would have rather been back at the manor, but as long as they were together, she supposed their trip across the kingdoms was tolerable.

"I want our bed," Rima sighed longingly.

"Soon," the seer assured her, and begrudgingly, she followed him away from the manor.

* * *

 **AN:** Yagari enters the scene...reluctantly LOL.


	82. 82 Yuki

**YUKI**

"State your business."

Yuki absorbed the castle before her, the guards, the crimson and black banners billowing in the wind. The cry of sea birds and the scent of salt accented the air. Below them, the sea was rolling and foaming in the sunlight. Excitement and fear hummed through her veins. At last they had arrived at Seagate...and at last they would know not only the fate of their friends, but Rido's decision, as well.

"We have business with Lord Kuran," Zero answered simply.

The guards nodded. "All cityfolk have one hour to meet with Lord Kuran and state their appeals today, starting in ten minutes. I'm afraid there's already quite a line, but all are welcome. One of the servants will show you to the audience chamber. Please state your names and your business."

Yuki exchanged a glance with Zero. Should they hide their identities now, or was it already meaningless to do so? She thought perhaps it was futile. The world would soon learn they were alive. Nevertheless, she merely stated, "Yuki and Zero. We wish to enlist the aid of Lord Rido Kuran."

The guard scoffed. "A fool's errand. Well, get on with it." He jotted down their names, and the two nobles passed into the hall, where a servant was waiting to show them to her uncle.

"We're lucky," Yuki whispered to her knight as they followed the servant through the halls. "We arrived at the same time as the public."

Zero nodded in silent agreement, eyes scanning the area as always. He was her Bloodguard through and through, practiced in her defense. Strangely, Yuki noted that they had not been stripped of their weapons, although she understood why as soon as she stepped into the audience chamber. There was her uncle, seated upon a throne carved from stone, his dark hair and mismatched eyes indicating his bloodline more loudly than a shout. And around him ringed at least a dozen guards. More lined the halls and patrolled the doors. If either one of them drew steel, they would be dead within moments.

"What a pleasant surprise. I'd know your face anywhere." The drawling, low voice alerted Yuki that their arrival had not escaped Rido's notice. "Your friends told me to expect you, but I had given you up for dead."

The noise in the chamber stilled, and dozens of eyes trained on the newly arrived pair. None, however, seemed to recognize her, much to her relief. Zero remained tense beside her, undoubtedly expecting the worst at any moment. It was impossible to gauge Rido's reaction to their unexpected arrival, but she thought he seemed satisfied with the turn of events, judging by smug angle of his mouth.

Heart seizing hopefully, she asked, "They made it here safely?"

"Oh yes, quite safely." Rido's gaze trailed down her body and back to her face, a smirk playing over his lips as he continued, "I'm afraid I'm otherwise occupied at the moment, but please accept my invitation to dine this evening. I assume you'll be staying here?"

"If it pleases you," she answered humbly, hoping to gain some favor through mildness.

"It does please me. Greatly." Again those eyes traced the contours of her figure. He clapped his hands then, and the servant snapped to attention. "Take them to their friends. In the meantime, prepare them rooms."

"Yes, m'lord." The servant bowed and gestured for Yuki and Zero to follow him.

"Thank you. I trust we'll speak at more length later." Yuki smiled gratefully. She was careful not to name him uncle in front of the crowd, just as Rido had not called her niece.

"Of course," Rido affirmed, and with a curtsey Yuki exited the room behind the servant.

"Your friends are in the eastern courtyard garden," the servant informed her. "It's quite near."

"Thank you," the Kuran noble said.

A scant few moments later, the two nobles were left at the entrance to the garden. "I will return to show you to your rooms later," he told her before vanishing around the corner.

Yuki stepped into the charming courtyard garden. Rose bushes and trellises of blue and white flowers ringed the area, tingeing the air with their subtle, pleasant perfume. Butterflies fluttered low over the blossoms, flashing spots of color across the garden. In each corner of the area was a tasteful marble statue of a wolf, the emblem of the Kuran family. In the center of the courtyard stood a gazebo over which climbed an elaborate, snaking labyrinth of ivy. Within the gazebo was a small tea table laden with delicious cakes and an assortment of cookies. And at the table... Yuki felt a bubble of half laughter, half sob rise in her throat. At the table sat the two people she had feared she might never see again.

For a moment, Yuki didn't call out to them. There was something tangibly private in the atmosphere around them. Their heads were leaned close together, their fingers intertwined atop the sheer scarlet tablecloth. During their separation, it seemed as though Yori had bloomed into a lady of femininity and grace. Yuki tilted her head to the side, appraising her friend, whose slender fingers carefully tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Yori's short hair had grown, the ends brushing down past her collarbone and framing her pretty, heart-shaped face in a way that both matured and softened it. Her mouth especially, unconsciously curved upwards, seemed ready to lift into a full smile at any moment. She was undeniably beautiful, and undeniably changed in a way Yuki did not recognize. Across the table from her, Hanabusa was not as changed, but there was a touch of marked graveness to his features, a wariness that tensed against his skin, as though he expected danger at any moment. However, when Yori murmured something too low for Yuki to hear, his face transfigured with radiance and his previous expression fell away. The princess had never seen either one of them like this before, and couldn't shake the feeling that she was intruding on something intimate.

Nevertheless, she couldn't contain herself. Too much time and preoccupation had passed for her to wait another second to greet them. She felt her feet spurring her forward as she called out, "Yori! Hanabusa!"

They paused, two pairs of eyes fixing on her in unison, and then a delighted cry reached her ears. "Yuki!"

A few beats later, Yori's arms wrapped around her, and she felt the sting of unshed tears pricking the back of her eyes. She was so relieved, so happy that her friends were safe. It was just as Rima and Senri had said, after all, that the four friends would not be apart forever. Her thoughts were jostled, however, as she was stolen by Hanabusa, who gave her a tight squeeze before clapping Zero on the back. Yori did not embrace the silver knight, but her beaming smile was enough to assure that she was more than pleased to see him.

"How long have you been here?" Yuki inquired, eyes darting back between Sayori and Hanabusa, absorbing each of their faces as her heart brimmed with emotion.

"How long… A week?" Hanabusa mused. "We were starting to think we´d have to leave without you."

"We were held up…" Yuki explained, and then, as they moved back under the gazebo and seated themselves around the table, Yuki told the pair the gist of all that had transpired since they had been parted.

"The Kiryuus are royal blood…" Yori nodded, selecting a cookie from the assortment of sweets. "That greatly strengthens your claim to the throne."

Hanabusa leaned forward, eyes twinkling as he queried, "So, you´re really going to wed, then?"

The princess flushed, not daring to look at the silver-haired knight. "Yes… We've decided to properly be together..." Hanabusa and Yori exchanged an excited look as Yori exclaimed, "Really?!" and Yuki quickly changed the topic of conversation, "We'll get into that later... I trust your journey here was far less exciting?"

Yori abruptly coughed on her cookie as Hanabusa grimaced and said, "How wrong you are, My Lady…"

"What happened?" the petite brunette asked.

"Well, we became rather too-well acquainted with Lord Rei Touma. He thought it would be great sport to capture us and then hunt us across his kingdom for his own amusement after we escaped."

"As well as some other things," Yori added vaguely, though she didn´t elaborate.

"As you said, we can talk at greater length later," the blond knight responded with frustrating coolness. "Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Zero for a while? I trust you´ll be safe in the interval," Hanabusa inquired, and Yuki immediately acquiesced.

"Of course." She stood, and the other three did the same.

"I´ll return him shortly." The blond grinned, and then gesturing for Zero to follow, the two guards stepped out of the gardens.

"Let´s walk," Yori suggested, moving out of the gazebo and onto one of the garden paths.

"Why don´t we go back to your room and talk? It's been too long and we have so much to catch up on."

To her surprise, she saw Yori's cheeks inflame with red as she quietly declined. "I would prefer the gardens, if you don't mind..."

Yuki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why is that?"

"You know I love being outside, especially surrounded by plants like this," the auburn haired girl evaded expertly, caressing the petals of a nearby rose.

"There's something else," Yuki accused. Yori's carefully blank expression was the only clue the petite girl needed to know that her friend was hiding something from her.

"Well...you want to be alone, I'm assuming. So my room wouldn't be an ideal place for that," the Wakaba noble answered maddeningly, turning away towards the roses.

"And why not?" Yuki inquired with increasing curiosity.

"Mostly because...I'm sharing it with Hanabusa," came the murmured response.

It was Yuki's turn to blush. "What?!" she demanded, scandalized. "Yori, why? I thought you hated him!"

"There are some things you can't share without growing to like each other." A pause, then, "Or in this case, growing to love each other."

Yuki was speechless. When they had last been together, Yori had been exasperated to no end by the blond noble. And now, she loved him? She was risking her honor for him? Sayori Wakaba? The very same girl who had been so cautious and reserved when it came to matters of the heart, was now sharing a room with a man she had known for only a couple of months? It was unbelievable.

"But..." Words were failing her, tripping over her tongue.

Yori turned back to her now, withdrawing a chain from where it was trapped within her bodice. Yuki immediately recognized the ring emblazoned with the Aidou family crest. The Wakaba noble smiled. "He asked me to marry him, Yuki. And I said yes."

The princess felt a rush of sadness. She had missed everything, missed their romance and journey together because of the enchanted fog that surrounded the manor in the Basin. Abruptly, she felt cheated. Pieces of her friendship with Yori had been stolen from her. And, stranger still, she felt the wispy touch of melancholy touch across her skin, because she suddenly wondered how long it would take for her to share such closeness with Zero…

Instead of expressing any of the emotions she currently felt, Yuki merely babbled, "But, what if you were pregnant?"

Yori blinked, then shrugged. "I was born out of wedlock, and unlike my mother, I am a noble and Hanabusa intends to wed me. If that did happen, the circumstances would not be the same as they were for me."

"You don't regret your decision then?" The dark-haired girl stared at her friend, suddenly wanting to ask her an array of questions.

"Curious, are we?" Yori teased, poking the princess in the arm, who flushed hotly.

"No, of course not!" she denied, mortified. Even if she was a bit curious, actually...

"I'm guessing nothing terribly out of the ordinary happened between you and Zero." The comment was droll, punctuated by hazel eyes raising skyward in vexation.

"Plenty happened," Yuki countered, folding her arms. "Zero agreed to fight for the crown. Which means, he agreed to marry me."

"Great, he agreed to fight for you like always. That's quite an improvement," Yori remarked with a touch of sarcasm that the Kuran noble didn't miss.

"And I...might have told him I loved him...," she admitted.

"Oh?" Her friend couldn't hide the sudden grin that swiftly overtook her features.

"And he loves me, too...," she mumbled in embarrassment.

"Everyone knows that, Yuki," Yori chastised with a chuckle. "I don't know how you managed to not realize it all this time."

The princess felt her cheeks heating, but she shrugged noncommittally and whispered quickly, "We may have kissed..."

The auburn-haired noble's eyebrows shot up several inches. "Really? I don't believe it! I thought you two would continue to move in circles around one another for a while yet."

Yuki picked at her skirt, teeth catching her bottom lip. "I was getting impatient."

The Wakaba noble's eyes sparkled, but she refrained from saying anything. Instead, she suggested, "If you're worried about it, try to show him a little affection while we're here, at least. You probably won't have much time alone when we're on the road."

"Or you and Hanabusa," the princess teased.

Yori smiled and observed, "By the way, your hair looks cute now. Why did you decide to cut it?"

"Zero has been teaching me how to fight. I wanted to do something to show my resolve...and it is a lot easier to move without such long hair."

Yori nodded sagely. "I haven't had time to cut mine..."

"Don't," Yuki advised suddenly. "It looks really beautiful..."

"That's what Hanabusa said." She giggled.

"Well, it does."

"Then perhaps I'll leave it, after all. I almost cut it, a few days ago, actually... But..." The auburn-haired noble trailed off.

"But..?" the princess prodded.

"But," she continued after a heavy pause, "I didn't want to see the girl from The Vale in the mirror again. I felt...that it would be painful. I'd rather see myself now, and associate this longer hair with something new. With Sayori Aidou. It has a nice ring to it..."

"I don't understand why anyone would want to live with Hanabusa." The Kuran noble laughed. "Although I'm sure he's changed, too."

"Everything has changed," Yori murmured. "And I have a feeling it will change even more..."

Yuki frowned, watching the breeze as it stirred the petals of the nearby flowers. She feared her friend was correct, that the coming days and weeks would be marked by unfamiliarity and danger, and yet she was firmly resolved to continue on the path she had chosen. She had sworn to avenge her adopted father, Yori, Zero, and even Hanabusa and herself. No matter what she faced, she would not back down. No... Yuki Kuran would not rest until she and her friends were home again at long last in Ashgate.

* * *

 **AN:** Yuki finally made it to Seagate and the gang is at last reunited! Now let's see what happens...


	83. 83 Maria

**MARIA**

Crouched and waiting in the underbrush, Maria watched through the boar's eyes as the king's hunting party passed. She strained to quiet her breathing as the slim, hoofed legs of half a dozen horses rushed past. The Hio girl caught sight of the king in the center of the party, riding alongside his Bloodguard, Seiren, his dark hair streaming out behind him from underneath the golden, bejeweled circlet that marked his station. She was glad that Kaname was arrogant enough to hunt without the hounds this time, as they would no doubt have smelled her in an instant. That was his weakness, she thought with bemusement. He was overconfident in himself and his abilities, and that was why Maria knew the precise path they were taking, and she was prepared to act when the moment arrived. Cautiously, she circled around through the brush, striving to make as little sound as possible as she placed herself where she knew the party would next appear. Beside her, her illusionary reflection, courtesy of Shizuka, mirrored her actions in reverse.

She hoped that all of Shizuka's enchantments held. The noble woman had ventured into the woods every day to continue spinning her magical web, and now at long last everything was in place. The enchantments should be strong enough to overcome even Seiren's magical prowess. Most importantly, Maria hoped no one inspected too closely the illusion of the older Hio woman that had been left at the castle. The mirage was very convincing, but lacked physicality so entirely that if somewhere were to touch it, it would shatter instantly. The spell should be enough, however, to convince anyone that Lady Hio had never set foot outside the castle walls all day. Meanwhile, the real Shizuka was in these very woods, waiting...

Waiting for Kaname Kuran...

Maria spotted the party rapidly approaching out of the corner of her eye. In a flash, she broke from her cover, snorting loudly to draw attention, and darted to her left. To the right, her reflection did precisely the same in the opposite direction. Immediately, the hunting party and Seiren veered right, seeing only her reflection, which Shizuka had bewitched with a glamour for this very purpose. At the same time, Kaname spurred his horse to follow her, oblivious to all else. He did not seem to notice that his fellow huntsmen were no longer with him. Maria knew Shizuka was close, for he followed her as though in a trance. Her cousin had laid her traps well to ensure that the king fell, unprotected, into the center of their web. And he did. He chased her right into their trap, exactly as planned.

Quickly, Maria transferred her conscious to the horse upon which Kaname rode. Rearing upward, she tossed the king from her back and galloped away into the woods, returning to the boar's body almost immediately. It was exhausting, changing bodies so many times, but she forced herself to focus. She turned the boar back toward Kaname and charged. The lord raised his sword, slashing down against her back with white-hot pain that made her squeal. One tusk plunged into the soft flesh of his stomach, and then she tossed her head, knocking the blade from his hand. Panicking, the Kuran lord drew his long dagger as Maria shoved him to the ground, tusk raking back over the wound and spilling more royal blood. Just as the knife thrust through her neck, she sprang free of the beast's body, choosing instead to inhabit the form of a sparrow who rested just overhead, hidden behind a screen of wide leaves.

Exhausted from transferring her conscious so many times, Maria was temporarily bound to the bird's tiny frame, too weak to return to her own body back in the castle. She hopped along the branch feebly, positioning herself so that she could overlook the scene below, where Kaname was examining his wound from the boar tusk. The gash was not terribly deep, although it bled profusely. Maria thought such an injury would not put the king's life in jeopardy, though it had weakened him a great deal, which was exactly what Shizuka wanted. Her cousin wanted to deal the killing blow herself.

"Horrible wound, isn't it Kaname?" Shizuka smirked venomously, stepping out from the trees and into view from where she had been hiding. "Without your Bloodguard to protect you, even you have your limits..." Rose eyes followed the dripping blood down from his stomach to his legs to the ground with satisfaction.

"You... I know why you're here in Ashgate," Kaname murmured, gaze fixed on the noblewoman warily.

"I see... Well, as for why I'm _here_ in this exact place, there is nobody to disturb me here." She gestured broadly to the dark green foliage with the traces of a sneer around her lips.

"What brings you to the forest, exactly?" Kaname asked, obviously delaying for more time as he subtly checked the area for the other members of the hunt. Of course, Shizuka's illusion spells prevented them from finding their king, but Kaname did not know that. Lady Hio had taken great pains to prepare for this day, and nothing would interrupt her now.

Shizuka chuckled. "To return a favor... And also because this is an appropriate place to get what I want..."

"You've come to kill me," he stated plainly.

"Yes." The word was calculated, eager, and dripping with anticipation.

"And you're a mage..."

"The same as your guard. Part Kiryuu, isn't she? A lovely creature. Unfortunately, she's no match for me." The Hio noble smiled caustically. It was true. Seiren was powerful in her own right, but it was apparent that none of her previous opponents had been magical. She had neither expected nor defended against Shizuka's bewitchments.

"All this... I would probably have done the same as you in time, Shizuka. I'm like you, My Lady... By that I mean what I do, I do for myself." Dark eyes swept the area, but no help was forthcoming.

"You do not seem very surprised," Shizuka remarked, taking a single, measured step forward.

"No. As I said, I've been thinking of taking your life as well. By other means," Kaname admitted. From her place in the branches above, Maria saw his nervousness, the way his fingers twitched for his blade. He would not find it.

"I see. That would have been the correct decision."

There was a whirl of air, and suddenly Shizuka's image wavered and splintered outward. Kaname inhaled sharply, backing up as the fragments shimmered and dispersed in the air. Behind him, an arm wrapped almost lovingly around him, binding him in place as the noble woman's other hand thrust through his flesh, deep into the cavern of his chest. He gasped, shuddering as dark blood gushed between them. Maria shivered, unable to look away from the gruesome scene below her.

Shizuka smiled, asking in a velvet whisper, "...Do you feel it? I'm holding your heart. If I take it out right now, can you imagine what will happen?"

The king coughed, blood speckling his chin as he rasped, "What a dirty trick. You presumed I would come here and were waiting for the opportunity, weren't you?"

"Yes. It is foolish to try to outwit me." She leaned forward to murmur in his ear, "Kaname...your life, I will have it. You crossed the line when you poisoned my precious pawn. Under other circumstances I might have permitted you to live, but..."

"One would almost think you cared for him..." A weak laugh, followed by another bloody cough.

"I do. In my way. I raised him for a purpose, and I won't have it taken away from me. I will be queen. I will use every bit of my power to ensure that end."

"It is so strange. I never imagined it would happen like this. When I first met you in Ashgate, I actually thought perhaps you should be my wife. However, now..." Kaname breathed in shakily, trembling on the cusp of life as Shizuka gripped his heart.

"I won't waste your death," she told him, "though all too soon your words will disappear. The Kuran empire you dreamed of building will disappear. Your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear."

"You have summoned a sinister future, Shizuka," he warned. "The lords will not be so appeased by a Hio on the throne."

"Yes, I know," the Hio noble answered, and then with a wet, ripping squelch, the older woman wrenched the king's heart free from his chest.

Kaname crumpled. From Maria's position in the trees, she could see the life slipping from his eyes as fast as water through a sieve. Shizuka stood frozen for a moment, an almost feverish glint in her gaze as she stared down at the dead, still heart in her hand. Then, slowly, the noblewoman began to clench her fist, fingers sparking with magic, until the heart was nothing more than crushed, pink powder in her palm that scattered to the winds. Shizuka flipped over her hand, and the rest of the powder billowed downwards, dissolving in the open air until nothing remained.

The Hio woman glanced up at the branches where Maria perched, her lips twitching upwards in the merest suggestion of a laugh as she remarked, "Well done. It's finished."

With a sweep of her skirts, Shizuka strode off into the trees, vanishing from sight almost instantly. Maria, however, remained where she was, incapable of looking away from Kaname's unmoving form. His eyes still stared open and unblinking out across the forest floor, almost in accusation. She shifted uncomfortably, feathers rustling. She had wanted revenge for Ichiru, yes... But, to kill a man in cold blood, to rip out his heart... She felt strangely cold, as though she had been immersed in ice water.

Only a moment had passed before a second form streaked through the trees, giving a muffled inhalation when she saw Kaname's body lying on the ground. "My Lord Kaname?!" came the words, and Maria withdrew further into the bird, making herself small and silent within it. And when Seiren's single eye found her in the branches, expression irascible and incriminating, Maria found herself abruptly returned to her own body at the castle.

They had killed Kaname Kuran.

* * *

 **AN:** Plot twist? Ok, I know, I know, not the epic battle I'm sure you were expecting. But, I really wanted to show how powerful Shizuka is and it was soooo satisfying to have Shizuka kill Kaname the exact same way he killed her in the manga.

I'm sure you were expecting Yuki to be the one to face off against Kaname at the veryyyy end of the story. That was one of the things that sometimes frustrated me about GOT, how sometimes I was deprived of the revenge I was anticipating. I decided to do the same in this fic. Enjoy! -walks off laughing evilly-


	84. 84 Zero

**AN:** In the capital, everything is going crazy. Meanwhile, in Seagate...

* * *

 **ZERO**

The sea breeze ruffled Zero's clothes, the finest he'd worn in many weeks. It was a strange sensation. Most of his life he'd been accustomed to threadbare outfits or even rags; it had only been after he'd come to the castle that he'd been adorned in what he could only term as 'finery.' On the road with Yuki, he'd gone back to simpler linens, but now he'd once again been dressed in garments that were undoubtedly _too_ fine. Even after years in the capital, he'd never truly grown accustomed to silks or artisanal embroidery. However...if he was going to be king, he would be clothed to an even higher standard...perhaps an unbearable one.

Beside him, Hanabusa casually strolled, most likely more at ease here in the castle among those same luxuries that so discomforted Zero. They'd spent the better part of the afternoon catching up on the trip. Hanabusa had warned him that Rei Touma might side with Kaname now, out of spite, and in turn Zero had told him his doubts about Rido's aid. Although Rido was treating them well enough as their guests, Zero wondered if perhaps the older lord wasn't plotting something, detaining them here while he prepared to send word to his son...

Certainly, their dinner with the lord had gone better than expected. Rido had been polite and contained, despite gazing at Yuki with a frequency and intensity that unsettled and angered the knight. Zero was sure that such staring was not the norm between an uncle and his niece, although thankfully Yuki had seemed untroubled by it. Either that, or she hadn't noticed... The princess had been preoccupied with the lavish dinner, the best meal they'd had in weeks, and Zero had found it unmistakably adorable how her face had lit up as each plate was presented.

His thoughts were interrupted as Hanabusa mused, "Zero Kiryuu, King of the Nine Kingdoms, first of his name, last of the Kiryuu line. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" The blond knight grinned, leaning over the ramparts to look out over the sea.

"I don't like it...," Zero grunted, moving to stop beside his friend.

"You´ve already accepted, so why are you resisting it? Don't you want to be with her?" Hanabusa snapped, perturbed.

"Of course...," the knight admitted softly. "I won't leave her side or push her away, but... I don't want the crown. With Yuki as queen, we'll already have a ruler," he answered. The true ruler was Yuki, and as far as he was concerned she was the only one that was needed.

The blond knight rolled his eyes. "Everywhere's already got a ruler. Every pile of shit on sight of every road has someone's banner hanging from it. If you're still considering abandoning your heritage, I think you´re making a terrible mistake. You should be embracing this opportunity."

"The freedom to make my own mistakes was all I ever wanted," the knight countered.

"Then maybe you don´t want peace for the kingdoms. Maybe you´re just a coward," Hanabusa returned.

Zero stiffened. A coward? Well...perhaps so... "What I want…is for Yuki to be able to laugh from her heart."

"As do I. There's no need for her to sacrifice anything, including you," the blond pointed out. "Do you really think she'll be able to laugh from the bottom of her heart if you continue to deny this?"

The silver knight quieted, staring out at the glimmering expanse of sapphire water, following the paths of the boats as they crisscrossed one another. Yuki did not just want to stay with him, did not only want for him to fight for the crown...she loved him... Him, the most unworthy man in the kingdoms. And he wanted to keep her, to return her love, to have everything he'd only dreamed of before, yet... Yet, he still felt like his namesake. A zero sum of nothing.

A hand on his shoulder startled him. Blue eyes scorched his own as the Aidou lord stated, "Stop running, Zero. It's your birthright. More than that, it's what Yuki wants. And," the hand patted his back and retracted, "you already agreed."

"Yes...," he said in an undertone. "But Yuki doesn't understand how this magic affects me. You've seen it heal my wounds. You know that, in the arena, it preserved my life when it shouldn't have. It is dark magic..."

"I disagree. It seems like a great boon. I would have killed for that ability while I was busy being hunted up and down the Basin like a rabbit."

"You say that, but..." He shook his head, eyes darkening with painful memories.

"Then again," the blond knight's eyes sparkled mischievously, "You may have magical healing powers, but my travel companion was a lot handier than yours, I dare say."

Zero scowled. "Yuki tried her best. I was teaching her to fight."

Hanabusa grinned. "Yes, but do you trust her to guard your back?" Violet eyes reproached the Aidou lord, who ignored them gleefully and continued, "Can she light a fire? Scout? Hunt? Climb? Can she-"

"She knows when to not antagonize me."

"Ha." The blond chuckled.

"Yuki never had to do anything of those things...before..."

"I hope she doesn't have to do them again," the knight answered sincerely. "If we're able to take back the throne, she shouldn't ever have to..."

"Those are my thoughts, too..." Then, abruptly desiring to see her, he stated, "We'll talk more later."

"I already know where you're going," Hanabusa teased.

Zero didn't answer, but smiled faintly, walking back down the ramparts and towards the castle proper. Yesterday at this time, Yuki and Yori had been together on the training grounds; Yuki practicing with her sword and Yori providing moral support. Unfortunately, to protect the Wakaba noble, Hanabusa had not divulged her identity, and admitting proficiency with a weapon might have proven dangerous. For the time being, she was unable to train alongside her friend, though Yori had assured the silver knight that she always carried a concealed knife.

Today, the princess was alone. She was spiritedly attacking a training dummy, her swings still too wild and predictable to be very effective, but she showed marked improvement from the first day she'd held a blade in her hand. What she lacked in talent, she made up in energy, and it was clear that she was enjoying herself. The knight watched her quietly, admiring her motivation and making note of her errors so that he might correct them later. She lunged forward, sword sticking hard into the wooden equipment, and took a moment to wipe her brow and drink some water from her canteen. As she turned, she caught sight of him and brightened the yard with a single smile.

"Zero!" Yuki called out cheerfully, waving and coming towards him immediately, leaving her short sword wedged into the training dummy.

"You shouldn't leave your sword," the silver knight murmured, and the princess' eyes shot upwards.

"I'll go back for it. I don't think the dummy is going to stab me in the back."

"You're working hard," he noted.

"Well, I was hoping to surprise you with some improvement," she admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "But I don't think I have much to show right now..."

"We'll train together later," he offered.

"Okay. Do you want to have lunch now?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. From that angle, the sunlight brought out highlights of burnished chestnut throughout her dark hair. He nodded reflexively in response to her question, deciding rather abruptly that he favored the way her hair cutely framed her face with this shorter length.

Unable to help himself, Zero took a moment to admire the young woman he loved. Time passed, old wounds healed over, and memories were stored away, better left to collect dust. Despite the new bout of training, the pale skin of her arms was now clean and unblemished, the dirt and bruises she had accumulated during their training back in the Basin and long trek were now bleached out. He wondered if the bruises in her heart had healed as neatly.

Somehow, despite everything she had lost, Yuki seemed warmer and older, more mature now. That smile, so full of joy and sunshine, remained more important than anything else. Selfishly, impossibly, he wanted that smile to shine directly at him. He wanted to feel that warmth very close to himself, wanted to breathe in the subtle, gentle scent of her skin, her hair… She was only inches away from him, and he would only have to reach out… She had told him it was alright to touch her, after all...had asked him herself before...

He shifted, moving closer to her and leaning towards her, hand rising to touch her cheek very gently. Her eyes reflected back a myriad of emotions, broken and hurt as they had been by all that had transpired. And yet, they showed no trace of surrender. It wasn't fair that she had lost so much, and that injustice strangled him from within. His eyebrows jutted down, fierce lines of defiant, contained rage. How could anyone harm this girl, whose only crime had been refusing a marriage proposal? How could anyone-? His teeth clenched together, eyes flaring dangerously. She didn't deserve it. What had she ever done to deserve it? The question compressed in his heart, pressure expanding until he felt his limbs shake with sudden force. He couldn't stand it, and that feeling was eating him, rotting him away from the inside. It was a desperate, uncontrollable virus that infected him all at once, rushing through him with appalling force.

His mind was blurred, thoughts slurring together, hitting into one another and jarring through his brain. Overwhelmed with their jumbling collisions, unthinking, his hands abruptly reached out, sliding around her waist and against her cheek once again, her skin soft against his palm. Blind, he didn't register how her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat at his touch. She deserved something better, something more, and that thought drove him forward, until his lips nearly collided with hers-

Jolting to his senses, he constrained the jolting, demanding emotions that had nearly engulfed him. His lips were a mere centimeter apart from hers, not touching...yet so, so close... He desperately wanted to feel them again, but he didn't want to rush her. Didn't want to presume too much.

"Z-Zero?" Yuki stammered, and he felt her fingers clench against his chest.

"Sorry," he murmured, averting his gaze and inhaling deeply to center himself.

"No. Zero, please." Although he was certain they were the same as before, Yuki's eyes seemed almost hypnotizing as they stared into his; wide, chocolate, and pleading.

The knight felt himself go weak under that gaze, ensnared with a mere look. She was only an inch away, and he could feel the heat radiating from her small body. Carefully, feeling every muscle tense with restraint, he pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes slowly fell shut, her breath like a sigh against his mouth, blowing past him like the barest breeze. Tentatively, he felt her respond, lips lightly pressing back against his own. Longing flooded through him, and for a moment he almost let himself be taken away by that simple touch, by the sensation of her fingers threading through his hair. He had loved this woman for years. She was his first and only love. And this...this was more than he ever deserved.

When he broke off the kiss, he noted the disappointment that masked her features, and felt the guilt stab through his heart. If Yuki wanted to be closer, if she wanted more...was he actually going to refuse her? Even when he would gladly give up his life for her, obey her smallest, most whimsical command? He didn't have time to worry, though, as he felt her arms wrap around him and her head duck against his chest, holding him close.

"You're so stubborn, Zero," he heard her murmur, punctuated by a small laugh.

Not knowing how to respond, he merely continued to hold her. He was terrible with words, yet she wanted him to rule, to be king. He would never be good at diplomacy. He knew only the strength of his sword arm. He did not believe that he would be a leader that the kingdoms would be proud of, but... For Yuki, after all, he was willing to do anything...

"Maybe I'll just have to command you to kiss me, next time," she teased, peering up at him now with amused, shy eyes.

"You'll command the king?" he asked softly.

She beamed at him then, giving him a squeeze before releasing him and joking, "Maybe I will."

A smile infused his eyes, one that did not reach his lips, but he knew Yuki could detect it all the same.

"We must implore Rido for his aid soon," she said suddenly, expression growing serious.

"What do you think he will say?" Zero questioned.

"No," the girl admitted. "But maybe if we make a convincing argument, he will help us a little."

"I also think he'll refuse," the knight confirmed her thoughts.

"If he does, I suppose we'll travel on to Hanabusa's home."

"They will back us."

"Undoubtedly..." She grew pensive.

"What is it?" Zero watched as the princess bit her lip, obviously hesitating over something.

"I... I'm wondering if we shouldn't leave Yori behind there..." At Zero's subtle expression of surprise, she explained, "Yori is the heir to The Vale. And, she'll be an Aidou lady after she weds Hanabusa. That's a lot to risk, in war..."

Zero shook his head. "She'll want to be with you."

"I don't want to put her in any more danger. Or anyone, for that matter..."

"I understand, but... It's impossible to win the throne and keep all of us from danger..."

Yuki grimaced. "It's wistful thinking..." She brightened suddenly. "I'm looking forward to the wedding. We could do with a proper celebration, after all this hardship."

For a brief, dizzying moment, Zero almost dared to imagine a very different wedding. One featuring Yuki, and the two of them pledging their futures together...

The princess retrieved her sword, and when she moved back to his side she linked arms with him, inquiring, "Shall we lunch, then?"

"Yes," he agreed. Yes to whatever she wanted, as long as they would do it together, arm in arm like this...

* * *

 **AN:** We had girl talk between Yuki and Yori, so now some boy talk between Zero and Aidou. Anyway this chapter and Kaname's death happen pretty much at the same time. Plus, don't forget, it will take a while for news to reach the southernmost kingdom. I'm sure you're anticipating the gang's reaction to the news-it will come pretty soon, no worries!


	85. 85 Ruka

**RUKA**

Ruka brought her horse to a halt, expertly sliding from the animal's back as she led it closer to the stables. Today, she had taken the creature out for a run around the makeshift city, enjoying the warm weather and temporary escape from the fort. The stallion was no Henrietta, her favorite mare in Ashgate, but he was her style, and a very handsome dark brown with white socks. His sleek build was tailor-made for galloping across the open plains that surrounded the fortress, which was one of her favorite pastimes here at the fort. There was also an obstacle course on the grounds that she navigated every now and again when the whim struck her. She had always loved riding, but she had taken to the old hobby with renewed zest after leaving the capital and all of the pastimes she had previously indulged in.

Leading the horse by the reins, Ruka saw that the Lady Akira and Akatsuki were speaking to a group of mounted soldiers who appeared to be just about to take their horses out for the afternoon paces. Seeing the red-haired knight, the Souen noble felt a faint flush heat her cheeks. Against her will, she could hear his words of unexpected confession ringing through her ears once more. She paused, lost in thought as she stared at her fiancé. She wasn't averse to the engagement at all, really...even if she wasn't in love with Akatsuki the way he was with her, and even if he wasn't the choice she would have made. She didn't mind being adored, didn't mind having his undying devotion, didn't mind that she would always be his first priority. She didn't mind seeing him so radiantly happy, either. There was a fire in his eyes that hadn't been there before, and some of the worried creases that had previously marred his brow had been soothed away. Every day since she had accepted his proposal, he had sent her a different flower at breakfast. Now, the blooms made a motley, mismatched assortment of shapes and colors in their vase on her table, and she might have been annoyed by how the blossoms didn't complement one another, but instead she found the action strangely endearing. Rather like Akatsuki, lately.

The stallion, uncreatively named Socks, nudged her shoulder, effectively dislodging her thoughts. Cheeks still residually warm, Ruka collected herself and continued towards the small crowd. Immediately, Akatsuki's eyes brightened when they saw her, and she smiled in smug satisfaction, knowing that even after a ride she still looked immaculately stunning. She had his full attention. Her hair was pulled back into a low bun, ornamented with a bejeweled comb, a few strands purposely set loose to frame her well-proportioned face. Today, she was in emerald riding leathers, matched by the sparkling stones in the comb, and even Socks had been saddled in green to accent today's chosen hue. As she neared the group, she saw the soldiers' eyes focus on her, and didn't miss the way Akatsuki casually positioned himself beside her, exerting his claim. She controlled the urge to roll her eyes. Men.

"Lady Ruka," they greeted her almost immediately.

"Good afternoon," she responded cordially.

"I see you've taken a liking to Socks," a man in finer clothing, armed with a finer blade than the rest of his men, stated. Ruka judged him to be the captain. "He's a good beast."

"Indeed, he hasn't disappointed me." She rubbed the animal's nose fondly.

Aside to one of his men, the captain murmured, "Have Niko take him out later to burn off any extra energy. You saw how he kicked one of the stable boys last week."

The Souen noble perched a hand on her hip. "I daresay he had decent enough workout with me. He only needs to be turned loose in the pastures for a while."

"Forgive me, My Lady, I meant no offense," the captain answered immediately with another slight bow. "Socks is young, I only meant that he should be sufficiently worn out for the day."

"Don't underestimate Ruka. She's fearsome on horseback," Akatsuki observed with a touch of pride.

"Really? Forgive me, but a fair lady such as yourself doesn't strike me as a rider," the captain of the guard replied, without any obvious insult, though his words caused the Souen to bristle.

Ruka felt her eyebrows arch upwards. "I'm inclined to disagree with you, Captain. I'm confident I could outride at least half your men."

"A challenge?" Lady Akira smirked, adding fuel to the fire.

"Ruka hardly needs to prove herself against this lot," Akatsuki began, clearly intent on defending her with his usual gallantry.

Cutting him off rather abruptly, the honey-haired noble tossed her head and declared, "Why don't we try it, then? I'll race all of you, and I wager I'll best at least half of you."

The captain grinned at Akatsuki. "Your Lady is certainly confident, isn't she, My Lord? Very well. What exactly are you wagering?"

Ruka shrugged. "I won't lose, so we can discuss that if it happens."

"More rations," piped up one of the soldiers immediately.

"Booze," another suggested hopefully.

Ruka glanced at Lady Akira, "Can I gamble your resources like that?"

Lady Akira laughed. "Please, do. I want to see this."

"Very well," the Souen agreed haughtily. "If I lose, each one of you will receive an extra ration of food _and_ beer tonight." The men rubbed their hands together greedily, already salivating over their promised reward as Ruka mounted up with the help of her betrothed. "And if I win," she added, "you can all look forward to an appropriately menial task tomorrow."

The captain nodded. "Fair enough. The rules will be simple. We'll race from the tree there across the field," he pointed to the singular, lonely plant, "back to the stables. It's a straight, linear run so no one will be at any particular advantage. No foul play." He sent a swift glare back to his men. "We'll begin at Lady Akira's signal."

"Which will be this," the lady finished for him, waving a white handkerchief over her head.

The Souen noble nodded her assent, and the captain stated, "Alright, men, mount up!"

Ruka watched as the men swung up into their saddles and passed her, warming up their animals. She didn't need to do that, since she had just taken Socks out for a run, so instead she occupied herself with her thoughts. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she thought it was a little unsettling how everyone referred to her as though she and Akatsuki were already married. 'Your lady'? She was no one's lady, at least not yet. Already, her identity was merging into his, as she became 'Akatsuki's bride' or 'Akatsuki's Lady.' She frowned, troubled. She couldn't simply remain Ruka Souen, but somehow she felt as though she were losing a piece of herself she could never regain. She would never again be Ruka Souen after they were wed. No, she would become Ruka Kain...

Shaking her head, she attempted to quash her preoccupations. She had waited her entire life to marry. It had always been her dream to have an elaborate, lavish wedding and to be treasured for the rest of her days. But, honestly, she had never really thought past such a desire, at least not until now. She hadn't realized how her name would be erased, along with her past, her home; how everything would change as it morphed into meager possessions of her husband's. She hadn't considered having the responsibilities of a full-fledged noble woman, nor the pressure that would instantly be pressed on her to have children. She shuddered. She couldn't imagine it. Not at all. She was at an utter loss with Akatsuki's nephew as it was. And to think of what having children entailed, first..! Absolutely not. If she commanded the redhead knight not to lay a finger on her, surely he would comply? But reasonably, how long could she resist? If she didn't have any children at all, the marriage was on grounds for an annulment, and then she might end up betrothed to Rido Kuran all over again. She bit her lip. In short, nothing was how she'd imagined it to be.

But she had promised she would _try_ to love Akatsuki, even if the task seemed daunting and perhaps even impossible. She cherished the knight as a friend and confidante, not as a lover. Although, it wasn't the Kain lord's fault she easily overlooked him back in Ashgate. In the capital, she was never short of men who matched her aesthetic tastes. Here in the Dawn Plains, however, Akatsuki was almost _too_ courtly, now, since so many of the men here were rough, rugged, tanned, and muscular. When she had compared the knight to the members of the royal court, he had been overly masculine; here, he was the sole flower in a patch of weeds. Although, perhaps she thought he was more handsome now simply because he looked so annoyingly happy all the time. She envied the sheer contentment he emanated. And, too, she did rather fancy the way the sunlight played through his hair and drew veins of gold through eyes. Abruptly, she scowled, irritated with herself. One moment she was bemoaning her situation, and the next she was praising Akatsuki for not being such an utter brute like half of his compatriots. In fact, she had even begin to think that she was wrong and the Kain noble was rather attractive after all. Ruka grit her teeth. She was going entirely mad here. Luckily, the wedding was still postponed for a year, and she had plenty of time to either lose every one of her standards or regain her sanity.

Reaching her place in the center of the line, Ruka vented all of her frustrations into her desire to win. While she was still Ruka Souen and able to do so, she wanted to prove that she could best any man. She was superior to them, not only in beauty or wits, but also in skill. She had been on horseback since she was a child, and she had always ridden better than Hanabusa. While she had never touched a weapon or marched through days on foot, she did have this one rather masculine talent. Just so she could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that women could be every bit as skilled as men. She inhaled, calming herself and transmitting that calm to her horse. She was in control. She was going to win. She crouched in the saddle, waiting.

The handkerchief waved from across the field.

On reflex, she felt her heels spurring on the horse even before her eyes had registered the start signal. The horse eagerly shot forward, the first off the line, and Ruka felt a surge of pride for her mount. She had chosen well, even if she had nearly passed up the beast by for its atrocious name. She thought she should rename it to something a touch more regal after this. She leaned forward in the saddle, giving the stallion more slack on the reins. The race was reasonably short, and straight besides, so she didn't need to hold back.

Inch by inch, she was pulling ahead. The wind was whipping through the horse's mane and running rampant through her own hair, but she didn't care. She was going to leave those soldiers in the dust. A wild laugh sounded from her lips as exhilaration flushed through her, and the wind immediately wrenched away the noise, flooding her ears with the rush of air and the rhythm of hooves against the open earth. And for a moment, just a brief interval, she thought that this was bliss.

A blurred shape was coming closer into focus, and she noticed the captain urging his horse forward until, gradually, it matched Socks' pace. There was only a fourth of the distance left to go, and his mount was galloping beside hers as though they were in sync. Ruka gave her stallion another nudge of her heels, ushering him to go faster, faster, faster. And still, the captain kept at her side, neck-and-neck, and her world narrowed to the narrow strip of field left between them and the stables. She was oblivious to all else. She had no idea where the rest of the men were, if someone had already won, even, because all she could see was the captain beside her, and she knew she absolutely had to defeat him. If she didn't best even one of his soldiers, she had to best the captain, for his symbolic role at the head of his regiment.

"You can win this!" she cried, channeling all of her spirit and energy into the beast, who seemed to respond.

The captain responded, as well. Everything was going by so fast. One moment, his horse was there beside her, and then at the last second it gave a burst of energy, pulling away and ahead as the stables blew by. Leaving her behind. Leaving her in their wake, as though she were standing still. She had lost. She started slowing Socks, who was still excited and enthused for more, even as her own heart deflated miserably in her chest. She had wanted so badly to win... So very badly... And in the end, just as with her undeniable, unalterable marriage, she had been unable to do as she'd wanted. But she was a noble lady, and although her ribcage felt as if it was suffocating her, she composed her expression. She could be a gracious loser.

Circling around one of the paddocks, Ruka brought the creature back to where the others waited. As soon as she neared, there was an explosion of noise, and she couldn't tell whether they were cheering for her or jeering at her. Confused, she slid from Socks' back, examining their faces, which ranged from astonished to impressed to jubilant. A wide smile split Akatsuki's face, and when she met his eyes, she was momentarily wrapped in his warmth and pride.

"I don't believe it!" one of the men was ranting. "How come she rides so well?! Are you sure she isn't a Kain?!"

"That was amazing," another of the men congratulated her, patting her on the back rather joltingly out of habit. Immediately, his face turned red with embarrassment, and he dropped to his knee in a bow, muttering, "Forgive me, My Lady!"

"It's fine," she waved him off, still trying to gather the situation.

"Would you like to join our regimen?" a third joked.

"But I lost." She folded her arms. She didn't really see what there was to be impressed with. "What was the result?"

"My dear, you beat all of the men except Captain Jeyne himself," Lady Akira informed her. "In a rather inspiring display of horsemanship, too."

Ruka turned measuring eyes to the captain. "You ride well. Better than I'd expected."

The captain barked a laugh. " _I_ ride better than _you_ expected? My Lady, you have thoroughly shown your mettle and talent today. You've certainly earned my respect."

"Captain Jeyne is somewhat of a prodigy on horseback," Lady Akira elaborated.

"Though it was a close victory. Several of us were on your tail, My Lady," one of the soldiers ventured. "If I might be so bold, perhaps a rematch sometime?"

Ruka smiled. Actually... "Of course." If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit she hadn't had that much fun in a while. She wouldn't mind riding against them again. Not at all.

"What a shame you're already engaged to Lord Akatsuki," Captain Jeyne winked at her. "I keep saying I'll only marry when I find a woman of my caliber, but I've found you and it's too late!"

Ruka blushed, and the men laughed. The captain sobered then, saying, "In all seriousness, My Lady, I daresay you have not only my respect, but the respect of all my men. We will look forward to your menial tasks on the morrow. If you should have any need of us in the future, in particular a rematch, we are at your disposal." He gave a bow, and then he led his men over to the watering troughs. At the same time, a servant approached to tend to Socks for her.

"What sort of task do you have in mind?" Akira inquired.

"Oh, I don't know," Ruka replied vaguely. "Perhaps latrine duty. Since the captain did win, perhaps I'll spare him. Or perhaps I'll have him model some jewelry I've been meaning to sort through," she jested.

The older noble chuckled in amusement. "That's another thing I'd like to see. Shall we have tea tomorrow while he does so?"

Ruka giggled, picturing the military man draped in her finest assortment of gems overtop his uniform. "At the usual time?"

"Excellent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see you both at supper." That said, Akira bobbed a curtsey and departed.

"I know you were joking, but I'm not sure my mother knows," Akatsuki laughed.

"In the worst scenario, the captain models my jewelry. I can hardly call that a loss." Ruka stifled a second giggle, attempting to smooth back the defiant, wind-tossed strands of hair that had come loose.

"Don't," the redhead bid her, catching her wrist. "I know it's not the elegance you prefer, but to me, I don't think you've ever looked so beautiful."

This time, she couldn't diffuse the heat that lanced through her cheeks. She tugged her hand loose, mumbling, "You're only saying that..."

His hand moved to cup her chin, drawing her gaze to his so that she couldn't evade the sincerity of his own. "Truly," he murmured simply.

Flushed and slightly flustered now, she broke away a second time. "Come riding with me another time, then," she found herself offering, and was shocked by her own words for a space. She did pass time with him, at meals or tea or even occasionally for a game of chess or some such triviality. But she certainly wasn't the one making offers to spend time together, and she certainly didn't spend more time with him than she did with Kyoko or Akira... But it was too late to retract her statement now, and anyway...maybe she didn't really mind, at least not if he was going to stare at her the whole time with those eyes that assured her that, at least for Akatsuki Kain, she was the most beautiful and desirable woman in the Nine Kingdoms.

"Thank you," he rumbled in his familiar baritone. "I'd love to. It would be a pleasure."

As she began the short walk back to the fort, she wondered if her original assessment of this place hadn't been overly critical. She didn't have all the luxuries or the climate of the Arcadian Gardens, nor the splendor of Ashgate, but she was surrounded by good company and free to shrug off some of the burdens that courtly life had pinned on her. She was the closest she had felt to being free, and the feeling was bringing her steadily closer to happiness the like of which she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

* * *

 **AN:** Y'all may not like her, but Ruka's not THAT bad. :P


	86. 86 Yuki

**YUKI**

The sword fell with a muted thud as Zero lay on his back beside her, panting. His cheeks were faintly red from effort, beads of sweat sticking his metallic hair to his forehead. Closing his eyes, the breeze passed over him, cooling his heated form. A ladybug crawled over his fingers, but he appeared not to notice, concentrating on easing his short breaths.

A smile spread over Yuki's lips as she watched him. Her eyes darted to the ladybug, flicking it off with her fingers before pulling up a few blades of grass to braid together. The smooth strands were manipulated easily in her agile hands, and before long she had a long necklace that she tied together.

"What's that?" he asked, sitting up.

"A grass necklace," she held it up, and after a moment's thought, placed it around his neck.

Zero blinked, then shook his head, lips twitching with the hint of a smile. To her delight, he didn't remove the necklace, and instead moved to get his sword, checking it for any blemishes that it might have accumulated after practice. Yuki suspected the blade was impervious to such things, but she said nothing, allowing him to inspect it himself. She glanced at the knight, heart beating a little faster and glad that he couldn't see. His current task placed his back towards her as he turned the blade over, running a hand over its side. She could clearly see the line of his spine etched against the fabric of his shirt and the way the breeze shifted his hair at the nape of his neck. She caught her breath, feeling her fingers twitch involuntarily against the ground. If she looked carefully, there was a single freckle on the back of his neck. Just one, exposed now from the caress of the wind. It was the only freckle that she had ever seen on his pale skin.

She leaned closer, noticing how that freckle lay at the base of his neck. The skin there was paler than the skin on his arms or face, shielded from the rays of the sun. At that particular place, his hair was very fine, seeming almost more white than silver. Her breath came again strangely. Without realizing it, she had been holding her breath. Her entire conscious was concentrated on that freckle and the peculiar urge to touch him that was building within her. Slowly, her hand trembling, she reached forward, a single fingertip alighting on that small dot.

Zero stilled. At that tiny contact, his whole body stopped, unmoving. Yuki paused, hesitant. She hadn't meant to startle him. Belatedly, still trapped by the frantic flow of her thoughts, she felt the soft warmth of his skin, and she inhaled shakily. It was almost as if that pinpoint of touch pulled taut a string that held them in place, rendering them both frozen. But even with such a tiny touch, she was still intoxicated by it. Her mind was spinning, unable to focus on anything but him. Entranced, she let her fingers sweep upwards, feeling the downy, thin hair on the back of his neck. And when even that wasn't enough, she shifted closer still, eyes falling shut into peaceful darkness as her lips gently brushed against that single freckle.

With that, she heard his breath catch and felt a tiny shiver run down his spine. Startled, cheeks flaming, she pulled back, shocked at herself. Her heart was banging so loudly against her ribs that she couldn't hear, and all the blood was rushing to her head, making it impossible for her to think or see anything other than a blur of color as she blushed.

Zero turned then, eyes questioning but soft, liquid violet and irresistible. For a long moment, there was only silence, filled only with the simple sounds of their breathing. Anxious, she glanced up beneath her eyelashes, trying to see his reaction. To break the silence, she spoke, "You have a…freckle…" Her voice trailed off into nothingness.

This time, his lips lifted into a real, genuine smile. He slid forward, arms wrapping around her, head against her shoulder. Relaxing immediately into his embrace, she twined her arms around him, letting her cheek rest against his hair. She loved that she could hold him like this now, that she was able to touch him at long last, breathe in his scent, and feel his warmth without consequence. He leaned closer, forehead moving to gently press against her neck. Her arms tightened in response, mouth turning up at the corners.

Finally, he murmured into the crook of her neck, "I'm with you, Yuki. All the way."

She blinked in confusion. "What-"

"From now to the end, I'm with you. I will claim the crown and remain by your side." He lifted his head, eyes sincere against hers.

She flushed. "You've already said that."

Before he could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the moment. Embarrassed, the two shifted apart, and Yuki turned her head to see her uncle coming towards them, accompanied by his Bloodguard. Seeing that he had her attention, Rido lifted his hand in greeting. Disappointed to have the time with her guard cut short, Yuki stood and pasted a friendly smile on her lips. Beside her, Zero rose as well, sheathing the sword respectfully in the High Lord's presence.

"Good afternoon," Rido drawled.

"Good afternoon, Uncle," Yuki returned with a curtsey. Beside her, Zero mumbled a reply as well. Somehow, the usual etiquette of the court seemed strange to her now after so many weeks on the road.

"Niece, if you would do me the honor of walking with me?" Rido extended his arm, which Yuki took. Zero fell into step behind them, beside her uncle's guard.

"What brings you here today?" Yuki asked politely, wondering why Rido had sought her out.

"I intend to throw a celebratory feast in honor of your safe arrival. Does this please you?" Paired with the question, those mismatched eyes dropped, lingering momentarily over the lacey curve of the princess' collar.

"Thank you, Uncle, it does. And thank you for your hospitality," Yuki answered easily, dismissing Rido's gaze as a part of her imagination. Perhaps he was admiring the dress. Or perhaps there was an insect. Certainly he wasn't looking at her in an inappropriate manner. He was her uncle, after all.

"No need to thank me," he chuckled. "Of course I would receive my cute Niece with open arms." A hint of a smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

"Even if I wronged your son?" she asked hesitantly, knowing the question was a loaded one and she should tread carefully.

"You refused a marriage proposal... hardly grounds for me to deny you sanctuary here, don't you agree?" To her surprise, reasonable words ensued from the noble man's mouth.

At a loss for words, Yuki merely said, "Thank you."

"This brings back memories," Rido mused. "Your mother used to walk with me like this around the grounds in Ashgate. She was quite fond of lilies, if I remember correctly. A pity. They grow better here than they ever did in the capital. She would have been better suited to living here by the sea."

Yuki remained quiet. She couldn't forget that this man who professed such love for her mother was also the very same man who had murdered both her parents in cold blood.

"You must be thinking, if I loved your mother, why did I kill her? Jealousy does strange things to us, Yuki," Rido continued, answering her unspoken thoughts. "Juri...her eyes stared at me with utmost disgust but I couldn't get enough of it. It still sends shivers down my spine, thinking of it..." He paused, and Yuki felt the tremor that ran down the length of the arm twined with her own. "I would have erased any existence that hindered me and her to be together, would have risked my all on it, but she did not want me, even though she was promised to me."

"My Lord," a sudden voice interrupted, and the pair halted as a servant approached. "Lord Banton is here, and he-"

"What a nuisance," Rido sighed. "Yes, I know what he wants." In an undertone, he whispered to Yuki, "Whenever one of these lords visits, it's always about money." Then, turning back to the servant, he said, "He owes me quite a debt... I wonder, did he bring his coffers?"

"I-I didn't see any chests with him when he arrived, Milord...," the servant answered nervously.

"Then I suppose we'll have to educate him, won't we? If you'll forgive me, Niece?"

"Of course," she murmured, and with a bow Rido took his leave, his Bloodguard a step behind.

Somehow, Yuki could not shake a feeling of disquiet after hearing her uncle's words about her mother. It was a feeling very similar to the one Kaname had given her, back in Ashgate. For the first time, she wondered if it was wise to request Rido's aid, even if she knew that she did not have much of a choice...

* * *

 **AN:** Kind of a short chapter, sorry about that. More drama upcoming soon ;) (as always).


	87. 87 Takuma

**AN:** I think you all will enjoy this chapter a little more than Ichijou's previous ones.

* * *

 **TAKUMA**

Takuma gulped down his wine in a painful swallow. Across the table, Sara was slowly consuming grapes, her straight line of teeth slicing them cleanly down the center before she popped each one into her mouth. They reminded him of eyes, bulging and juicy as they rolled across her tongue and down her throat. He could hear the wet sounds as they disappeared one by one.

His eyes skittered away to the napkin, to his leg, but everything reminded him of death. The scarlet napkin and black silk of his clothes shifted into the Kuran flag. Distantly, faintly, he recognized the remnants of this feeling as grief. Kaname was dead and Sara had laughed with zest, relishing the moment the news had arrived. Her eyes had raked over him as she'd breathed, _"Now you are truly mine."_ Takuma couldn't comprehend those words. Only now? He had always been hers. Forever and ever...

A knock startled both of them from their repast. Sara frowned but called, "Come in" and a beat later the threshold swung open to reveal a nervous, shuffling servant who meekly bowed and coughed out a stuttered greeting.

"What is it?" Lady Shirabuki demanded, voice laced with venom.

"I know you o-ordered us not to disturb you, My Lady, but... Lord Ichijou is on his way. He's...he wants his grandson."

The temperature of the room dropped dangerously. Sara stood, dropping her fork onto her plate with a clatter.

"He demanded to see Lord Ouri, M-My Lady. He-"

Sara cut him off with an abrupt gesture, eyes lancing through her servant with the force of a harpoon. "And did you let him in?"

"Y-yes My Lady." The servant swallowed around a dry throat. "He awaits you…now…"

Sara smiled. The sight chilled Takuma, who shrunk back in his chair, eyes wide. He shivered at the sight of her. The fear was so intense that he felt his stomach roll with nausea.

"I see." The Shirabuki noble approached the servant, who stood quivering before her, a mirror reflection of Takuma incapacitated by terror. "I am a fair woman. So I will reward your stupidity accordingly." That said, she thrust the knife she had been using to dine with into the man's throat. With a gurgle of blood and spit, the man fell to his knees clutching his neck. The blond woman kicked him in the chest, and he fell over twitching.

"Asato´s sure to learn my father is dead, now. I can't have that news spreading beyond these walls. Neither do I want to go to war with the Ichijous… Your grandfather is currently holding Kaname Kuran´s lands. Now that the king has passed, it seems Soshiyu will belong to the Ichijou family…" She paused, face contorting into a feral grimace of fury.

"What shall we do, Takuma? You are mine… I won't let him take you from me." Like monstrous, blurred insects, her satin slippers crept towards him. Her fingers, extended daintily like a proboscis, brushed through the strands of his hair and across his cheek before hovering at the corner of his mouth. Her hand dropped away then, resting on the back of his chair behind his head. "We can't stop him from coming. He´s already here. But…perhaps…." She leaned forward, lips caressing the shell of his ear as she murmured something that asphyxiated his thoughts. Something dark, fashioned from grime and proposed at a fever-pitch of whispered syllables. Something that made his soul shake perilously.

"Can you do that for me, Takuma?" Her lips were painting down his skin, their demand extracting the breath from his lungs as they seared over his with a haunting kiss.

He was hers. Hers. Completely, utterly, horrifically. The screams of his heart were drowned out and lost with the morning sun. "Anything," he answered, and the word resounded hollowly through his bones. She had carved him out with her knife, viscerally stripped his humanity away, and all that remained was the shadow of a man. His eyes passed through his own flesh as if it was phantasmal.

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." Sara returned to her seat, selecting a handful of berries to nibble. "I love you so." The words stung like hail.

A moment later, a knock sounded at the door, and short, formidable man entered a moment later, accompanied by guards garbed in the yellow and grey colors of the Ichijou house. The man, with his sharp, pointed features, grey beard, and glacial blue eyes doused Takuma in ice water. Those eyes, which inspired so much fear, brought the jarring recollection of memories that had been chased away by darkness. This man was Asato Ichijou. This man was his grandfather.

Against his will, like a virus of distortion singing through his infected brain, like a blister, he remembered the cloudy grey of the sea. He remembered the sun, the salt air, the endless forests of Soshiyu, the leisure of days spent at Kaname´s side. It was a reverie, a dream…a ghost of an already dead man. Takuma Ichijou, the noble lord who had enjoyed those simplistic days, was gone. Yet he remembered how the weight of a blade felt in his hand, how differently the lips of a woman could taste, how it meant to live with the absence of fear. He remembered as though those memories were his own.

And then he remembered that they were.

"I knew you would be here," Asato growled at Sara, glancing with disdain at the servant's body still bleeding on the floor. "You're intentions are, as always, astonishingly clear."

"Tch. Go wait on my father and be a bother to him, instead," Sara replied haughtily, attempting to continue her meal despite Asato's frosty glower.

"It's obvious you´ve disposed of him already. How long do you plan to continue the farce that he lives? You're a lazy, indolent child if you refuse to inherit the responsibilities that come with your power and your position. To me, however, that is irrelevant. I've come to collect my grandson. He is needed in the Timeless City now, as its heir apparent. He doesn't have time to play house with you anymore." Blue eyes pierced through Sara´s back as she delicately speared a grape with her fork and ate it at her leisure.

"Play house?" From his seat across from her, Takuma saw that Lady Shirabuki at least had the grace to appear offended rather than amused. "Takuma is mine now. _Mine_. Find another heir." For the briefest of instances, it appeared to Takuma that her face transformed into the apparition of a demon consumed by jealousy and covetous, her gaze consumed by raw fire.

"You were permitted to borrow him. That time has reached its end. Or, perhaps you would prefer I returned with an army and a declaration of war?" Lord Ichijou asked calmly.

Permitted to borrow? The words rang emptily, senselessly through his head. Then…did his grandfather know he'd been here, all along? Had he known how his grandson had been torn apart and sewn back together, how he had been locked in the dark for days or weeks or years, how he'd eaten wriggling, squealing rats to keep the hunger at bay? Had he known, too, about the stench of a corpse filling the room, and the feeling of having each one of his thoughts peeled from him like skin? His trembling hands rose to clutch his head in denial.

"I would kill you here instead, in that case. Don't make empty threats," Sara chided, sipping her wine.

"I won't waste time verbally sparring with you. Come, Takuma. Wipe that servile look off your face. You're the Ichijou heir."

At the old man´s words, Takuma's gaze snapped back to Asato's. Recognizing a face, any face, other than the ones he was familiar with in the Citadel, was like plunging into an icy lake. He had been skating along on the lake's surface, oblivious to everything he had shut out before, but now that he was submerged in those waters he had no choice but to face their depths. And he remembered who he was. And he remembered why he was here. And he remembered what it meant to remember.

"No. I belong here. I have to stay here. I am Sara's," he said tremulously, fearfully. He cowered in his chair, eyes wide with terror. It didn't matter who he was or where he had lived before. If he was subjected to the horrors of the dungeons again, who knew what sort of man would arise within him?

"What have you done to him? He looks like a beaten dog with those insipid, vacuous eyes." Asato's lip curled in disgust.

"I tamed him. What else did you expect? He was so difficult, too." She sighed, standing, and moved to stroke Takuma's hair. Rather than calm under her touch, he began to shake even harder. Those fingers betrayed terrible, twisted intentions that he did not want fulfilled. "At last he has bent to my will, though. As I knew he would." A fingernail traced down the side of his neck and he flinched with undisguised dread.

"Your methods are outdated and revolting. Still…I trust he will be tougher now. Once his mind recovers from your conditioning." Asato gestured to him impatiently, and Takuma shook his head mutely. What he heard, what he refused to comprehend, was that his grandfather had willfully left him in Sara´s care…

"Will he?" Sara smirked, finger tracing the curve of his collarbone.

"He is an Ichijou. That much hasn´t changed. Takuma, I tire of this. Come."

Across the room, Takuma caught a glimpse of himself in the round silver mirror mounted on the wall to his right and slowly stood, staring hypnotized into its depths. For a moment, he didn't recognize the reflection that stared back at him. Physically, he hadn't changed at all. He was still the same unremarkable lord he had always been, of average height, fair features, slender and lean. Sara had seen to that, had woven the sinew and bone back together each time it had been damaged. Underneath that exterior, he was sure there were some intrinsic parts of him that hadn't changed either. He was still morally ambiguous, loyal to a fault, and remarkably untalented. For a moment, he almost laughed. How was it possible that such a man such as himself could cultivate such obsession, such lust, in any rational woman? But, that was it. Neither Sara nor Yui were sane. And that was why the haunted, cavernous green eyes that stared back at him seemed so unfamiliar. His face had become that of a stranger's…that of a corpse.

For a moment, he could almost see the wavering image of his former self. It whispered, ravenously, "Kill them both."

Kill them? Yes, perhaps… His grandfather had abandoned him. Sara had eviscerated him. He could still see his blood pouring, seeping, fountaining over the floor. A bubble of laughter caught in his throat. It would be only fair, only just, for them to bleed just as he had… For them to know pain, fear… For them to grovel and beg for mercy that he would never, ever give them.

No. His hands battered into the sides of his head, desperate for clarity. Kill them, no. No. His grandfather had done nothing wrong. Nothing. He was rescuing him, wasn't he? Rescuing… And Sara, Sara loved him. Didn't she? She whispered it, in the dark, when she thought he was sleeping. She had said… But she had made him do so many things. She had left him to rot in the dark.

 _"I'm the only one you need, Takuma. Kaname is dead, your family has betrayed you, but I will never let you go. Look only at me."_

She had desecrated him. Tormented him. Made love to him. Rebuilt him. Contorted him. Poisoned him. Devoured him. She…

He laughed out loud this time, the hint of insanity creeping into his tone. How beautiful it might have been to see _her_ intestines in _his_ hands. How satisfying. And at the same time, the thought made him shudder. How could he think such a thing? How could he think of harming her, of leaving her? He was hers, he dreamed only of her now. There was no one and nothing else beyond that. Quickly, he had to forget everything and blot out the ashes of the memories Asato had sparked. Forget his grandfather, forget his very name, and surrender back to the darkness so that he might live.

 _He saw blood. A corpse burning in the fireplace. Smelled decay and despair. Felt the touch of her lips and her hands. Tasted poison around her tongue._

 _"I'll show you a sweet dream, Takuma."_

Pain flung out across his cheek. The force of the blow caused him to stumble backwards. When he finally regained his senses, he saw Asato standing in front of him, pale eyes spearing right through his. "Wake up, boy. She doesn´t have any power over you. If anything…she's yours to do what you want with. She spoilt herself for marriage and murdered her father in cold blood. Her honor is gone and perhaps her title, as well."

Ha... Imagining Sara powerless, imagining her belonging to him, instead...it sent a strange shiver up his spine. But he was hers, he'd repeated those words day and night and in his sleep. Did he have to be, though? If he went with his grandfather now, back to Soshiyu... If he left her here... The memories of sunlight and greenery teased him relentlessly.

"Don't fear... He won't be taking you anywhere," Lady Shirabuki murmured, moving to his side and reaching up to stroke his face.

Don't fear...but perhaps he wanted to hurt her...to leave her...even as he knew he was forever chained to her. And the words she had whispered into his ear, only a moment before his grandfather arrived, echoed through every nerve.

"Sara… How could I ever leave you? I'm yours, after all," Takuma murmured, eyes sincere against hers.

The noble woman´s lips compressed smugly as she leaned forward to kiss him, fingers tangling in his hair and pulling him closer. His hand moved, almost instinctively, drawing one of the daggers from his grandfather´s belt and plunging it deep into Sara´s belly. It was as soft as the bellies of the rats he had eaten in the dungeons below. He felt her scream against his lips as if he were uttering the sound himself. Maybe he was. Twisting the knife deeper inside, he whispered into her ear, "Just in case," before he stepped back, releasing her to fall in a shrieking, bloody heap at his feet.

A strange, sadistic smile lurked at the corner of his mouth, hungering to conquer his face. He left it there, a previously unknown mania illuminating the backs of his eyes with a sickly green glow. A shiver of delight touched down every vertebrae of his spine. She was suffering just as he had.

"How dare you!" The storm in her eyes was accusing and unquenchable.

"Your mage will put you back together again," he said dismissively, turning to leave.

"Takuma Ichijou, you will never find happiness or love. No one can hold you now. No one…except me." The hissing, sibilant threat of her tone invoked an innate truth.

"All the better." He half-turned back to her for a beat, grinning with a hint of insanity as he told her, "By the time your mage arrives, any Ichijou parasite you might have growing in your womb will long be dead."

The door shut behind him. His grandfather had his hand on his shoulder, guiding him through the halls. And in the background, he heard Sara screaming her rage and indignation.

* * *

 **AN:** Bye bye, crazy lady.


	88. 88 Hanabusa

**AN:** Yesterday was Monday wasn't it...? OOPS... -quickly uploads chapter...-

* * *

 **HANABUSA**

Now that the princess and Zero had arrived in Seagate, Rido had invited them to a much more ornate feast than any of their previous dinners. Hanabusa was more than ready to formally meet with the older lord and begin negotiations. Rido enjoyed the blond knight's company, which the knight hoped would work in their favor. The opposite, regrettably, could not be said. The Kuran lord was fouler than all of the Brackmire Basin combined, and Hanabusa grew weary of feigning interest in Rido's often offensive remarks.

"I have your sword if you have need of it," Zero told the princess, indicating where he had attached the short blade to his belt opposite his own sword.

"This should be interesting," Yuki murmured just outside the doors that led into the chamber where they were to dine.

"Yes My Lady, it's ever so much fun to spend time with sadistic perverts. One of my favorite pastimes, really, along with murdering, raping, and pillaging." The blond adorned his best fake smile.

"Let's not mention any of those. We wouldn't want him to get any ideas," Yori commented wryly.

"Ideas? He invented those," Hanabusa retorted cynically as Zero opened the door, revealing a large, airy chamber furnished with a single table that nearly stretched from wall to wall.

The four nobles found Lord Rido at the head of the long table, which was heavily laden with an assortment of rich foods and drink. His massive chair was fashioned from ebony wood, its back carved into two intimidating, watchful wolves with teeth barred in a fearsome snarl. Rido had already poured himself a brimming cup of wine, which he sipped languidly. His striking, unsettling eyes trailed over Yori slowly, and then fixed on Yuki with the acuity of a hawk. Hanabusa thought that the Kuran lord resembled, more than the wolf of his emblem, a snake; a cobra with slippery, jeweled coils, hooded with malevolence and fanged with poison. The inebriated stare he favored the princess with sent a ripple of foreboding down the knight's spine.

The two chairs on either side of Rido's chair were occupied by a frail, timid young woman and an elderly, sinewy man who Hanabusa assumed to be Lord Kuran's current wife and primary Guard, respectively. The next four chairs were empty, and beyond them the table stretched on, occupied by a myriad of men and women who all bore the trademark features of the Kuran line: dark eyes and darker hair. As the princess, her knights, and the Wakaba noble entered the chamber, the conversation came to a lull, waiting for Rido to speak.

"Welcome, please be seated," he drawled, gesturing to the unoccupied seats near him. The dining hall had fallen into an almost eerie hush.

"It would be an honor, Uncle," Yuki replied, and the four nobles took their places at the table, Yuki and Zero to one side, Hanabusa and Yori to the other.

"My new bride, Lara, and my Bloodguard, Shou," the older lord named, gesturing to each side and confirming Hanabusa's thoughts. "Then there's..." He squinted down the table. "My daughters...Ami, Misa, Haruhi..." On the fourth one, he scowled. "Waltha? Walra? She's Waldina."

"I'm Gina," the girl said softly.

"Fine," Rido retorted dismissively. "Anyway, my sons and daughters. There's quite a few of them."

The Aidou lord pressed his lips together. Rido had more children than any of the lords he knew. Then again, Rido also had more wives than any of the lords he knew. It was something of a scandal, but the Kuran lord was left to his own devices here in the south. Although, then again, most of the messengers and diplomats the other kingdoms sent were never seen again... And messenger birds, of course, were never returned. Rido probably ate them for dinner and laughed whenever they came, because if the knight had learned anything about the older lord in all of the unfortunate time they had spent together, it was that he was twisted in the most intrinsic, perverted ways. Ways that could not be reformed.

"You look like her…Juri…," Rido mused suddenly, eyes riveted on Yuki.

"My mother, you mean?" she asked in surprise, and when he nodded she smiled. "Thank you."

"She was supposed to be mine... She was mine. But your traitor of a father stole her from me," he growled broodingly, taking a long sip of wine.

"They fell in love," Yuki stated to their defense.

"Yes, that's what Haruka said." He snorted. "Your father said he betrayed me for love. I say he betrayed me for firm tits and a tight fit...and I can respect that. But I had to kill him for it anyway. Those things were rightfully mine."

Yuki flushed red, horrified, and Hanabusa saw Zero's fist clench in his lap. The blond knight exchanged a brief glance with Yori, and found her expression similar to his own: fighting to remain neutral and tolerant towards the Kuran lord. They required his assistance, after all. Like it or not, they were at his mercy here and forced to play by his rules. Hanabusa would not be provoked by Rido's taunts and lewd remarks.

"Uncle," Yuki hedged, "as I have mentioned, we are not purely here for a social visit. I, too, am fighting to keep what is rightfully mine."

Rido's eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch, and the blond knight glared at the princess for her lack of tact. Rido considered the crown _his_. However, the older man did not seem to take offense, much to the knight's shock. Instead, he finished off his wine goblet and motioned a servant forward to refill it, saying, "I don't wish to speak of such things at this moment. I'm rather more intrigued by your resemblance to your mother."

"I'm told I took after both my parents," she replied, nibbling at the edge of a square of bread smothered with herbs and butter.

"You have Haruka's coloring, but your mother's features...and stature." His eyes dipped down Yuki's form, and the princess shifted uncomfortably, mortified.

Hanabusa quickly took a large bite of whatever was on his plate. He didn't really see it. Instead, he was repeating a calming mantra in his head, doing his best to maintain a cool head, even if he wanted to strangle Rido in his chair for his insolence.

"I can always see what's going on beneath a dress," Rido commented blithely. "Been at this a long time. I bet when you take that dress off everything stays right where it is. Don't drop an inch."

Zero nearly stood, and it was only Yuki's restraining hand on his arm that prevented him from doing so. Hanabusa bit the side of his tongue, daring to say stiffly, "My Lord, I must ask you to please refrain from insulting my Lady Yuki."

"Insulting?" Rido laughed. A touch of mania passed through his eyes. "I'm praising."

"Nevertheless." The blond's eyes were hard against the Kuran lord's.

"You must forgive me if I speak out of turn." There was not a trace of apology in the Kuran´s eyes. "Southern women are not of the same caliber." His gaze flicked derisively to his new bride, who picked at her plate with pale, trembling lips.

"Your lady wife is quite comely," the knight commented in an attempt to soothe the girl´s broken pride.

"Her?" A thumb jerked to Lara. "Pa. She´s as flat as a washboard and stupid, besides. If Haruka hadn´t stolen my bride away, I wouldn´t have needed to marry such common trash."

Hanabusa swallowed his words, at a loss. Sensing a lull in the conversation, a servant stepped up to offer them another plate of treats. Meeting Zero's eyes across the table, the Aidou lord almost agreed with the harsh, unforgiving sentiments he found in his friend's expression. Rido Kuran might not be worth enlisting at all. He looked at Yuki then, and shook his head. She was still going to try. The spark in her chocolate brown eyes told him so.

Yuki may have been his princess and his friend, but her stubborn optimism was going to be their undoing. Hanabusa tensed, ready for the veritable storm that he knew was coming. It was only a matter of time before the dinner scene broke down.

* * *

 **AN:** Hehehe actually as you might tell, this is part 1 of the dinner, which will have a total of 3 parts (and also why this particular chapter is short and has a strange ending). This was the first course, next is second course, and then dessert. I've been waiting a long time to use a few choice quotes from GOT that would really make Rido utterly nasty, and we're finally here. Stay tuned for the next segment next week!


	89. 89 Yori

**YORI**

One of the servants offered Lord Rido a tray of sweet tidbits, which the older man waved off impatiently. His attention was riveted on the princess, who was, to her credit, not backing down under that lecherous gaze. Yori only hoped that the dinner didn't deteriorate further. They did need his help, even though the Wakaba noble increasingly doubted that they would receive it.

"I do not need any more appetizers," Rido muttered to the servant, who quickly retreated with the dish. Then, his mismatched gaze flicking to Yuki, he murmured, "Though you seem to be something worth eating."

Yori took a breath, spearing a piece of broccoli with her fork. She had experienced more than enough misogyny in the twelve days she had been here, even if she had mostly confined herself to her chambers or the courtyard garden in an attempt to avoid Lord Rido or his men, who had openly ogled her the one time she had dared to explore the castle. Discreetly, she looked around the table, noting the distress of her friends and the varying levels of response of Rido's children. Some of them seemed amused, but far more of them seemed uncomfortable, as well.

"Tell me more about my parents," Yuki pressed, valiantly ignoring his statement.

"Parent. I do not care to speak of Haruka. In my dreams, I kill him every night," the Kuran lord admitted. "A thousand deaths would still be less than he deserved."

Yuki examined her plate to hide the glimmer of tears that Yori noticed swimming in her eyes. The archer's heart went out to her friend. It must have been painful, to hear her parents spoken in such a disgraceful manner. Yuki was strong, though. She wasn't permitting her feelings to crack open her facade of amiability.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot. Thinking of your deceased traitor of a father has reminded me. In a way, I called you here to celebrate. There's been a lot of death at the capital, lately. It's quite refreshing." Rido raised his goblet in a salute.

The Kuran lord instantly had the attention of all four of his guests as Yuki asked, "Who? We've been deprived of news for so long…what's happening?"

"There was a revolt among the commoners, led by your father, Lord Hanabusa. Or, should I say…Lord Aidou? That is your new title now, as head of your house."

Yori's eyes widened. Beside her, Hanabusa had gone still. The only noticeable change was the tightening of his hands against the edge of the table and the rapid quickening of his breath.

"Yes, your father is dead. Along with your sister, Tsukiko…just after she had been crowned queen… Suicide, they say. Such a tragedy."

"No…" The word was torn from Hanabusa´s lips. His eyes had gone dead, distant.

"I suppose I should be take the time to observe the niceties and mourn myself, as well. My own son is dead, as well. But, I don't feel particularly disposed to since, as you can see, I have many to replace him with. Too many, perhaps."

"Kaname…is dead?" the princess murmured.

"Yes. So young, what a pity." The older man laughed, an expression of mirth contorting his face.

Yori's head was spinning. Could it all be true? They had gone so long without any news from the capital… Could so many really be dead? Under the table she reached out, squeezing Hanabusa's hand. She knew what it was like to lose one's family, and to hear it from the most unwelcome lips. The blond knight's palm twitched beneath hers, his face dazed and lost somewhere far from the dining room. There was nothing she could do for him now, but through the touch of their skin she wordlessly promised him all of the comfort and love she was able to bestow. Later. When she could hold him. When they were free of this farce.

"Then…to regain the crown...would you consider aiding us? We would see to it that it was beneficial for you and Sakaido," Yuki implored with large, chocolate eyes.

Rido considered her over the rim of his wine glass. Then, without drinking, he set it back on the table and leaned back in his audacious chair, opining brazenly, "I think not."

Yori pursed her lips, fingers still soothing the blond knight who remained almost comatose beside her. She wasn't surprised. Rido had shown no signs that he was going to aid them. To the contrary, he attempted to feed and entertain them to such distraction that they might forget their cause. At least now they had their answer. The Wakaba noble was eager to continue along their way.

"We could discuss terms-" Yuki began, to be sharply cut off by her uncle.

"The terms are these. I'm going to kill you and everyone you love."

Immediately, Zero and Hanabusa were on their feet, swords drawn. Rido chuckled bemusedly, gesturing lazily, and immediately his Bloodguard and the guards around the room answered by brandishing their own blades. They were surrounded. Yori stood cautiously, hand at her chest, fingering the knife she had stowed there. She felt naked without her bow, but at least she was not unarmed.

"What offense have we given you?" Yuki demanded, indignant.

"It is always thus, my dear Yuki. Those we trust are those who betray us and break our hearts. I loved your mother, and she repaid me with treachery. It is only fitting that I return the favor by killing her daughter, who has wandered into my house like a lamb to the slaughter. It is a pity, since you so resemble her...but what great thing has ever been accomplished without killing or cruelty? My revenge has spanned a lifetime. The crown will be mine, and you, Niece, stand between me and it. Be grateful that I have given you the opportunity to die with steel in hand."

Yuki was on her feet now, as well, pale and petrified by her uncle's unexpected words. Zero passed her the short sword wordlessly, which she gripped blindly. Yori had now withdrawn the curved knife from her bosom. She glanced around nervously. Rido's children remained impassive and apathetic, but neither had they drawn weapons. Clearly, the fight was intended to be between the nobles and Rido's guards. And…although their weapons hadn't been confiscated before the feast, she understood that they weren't meant to leave the room alive. They were nothing more than sport for the Kuran lord, just as they had been for Rei Touma.

"Please, reconsider, Uncle. We would be much stronger together, as allies," Yuki protested.

Rido snorted. "Kill them."

The guards immediately began to close in around them.

* * *

 **AN:** And then the vicious pet T-Rex Rido kept in his garden burst in the door and -CHOMP!- gobbled Yuki and Rido up in one bite!

LOL. Ok, "second course" was short as well, but the next installment of this dinner-date-disaster should be longer. See you next time!


	90. 90 Yuki

**AN:** Happy Easter! Sorry that there's no happy chapter this week to go with it...

* * *

 **YUKI**

"Kill them," Rido mandated, and immediately the guards began to close in around them.

Before the words had even finished leaving her uncle's lips, Zero had transformed into a blur of motion, engaging the nearest guards. He shouted for them to move towards the back of the room, and Yuki slipped past Rido's Bloodguard, tripping him as he advanced on Zero. Rido himself merely stood, drawing his own sword, though it was clear he did not intend to use it. Snapping suddenly from his grief-stricken stupor, Hanabusa threw his chair at the guards on his side of the table and drug Rido´s new wife from her seat, blade edge taut against her neck. The scuffle ground to an abrupt halt.

"Drop you weapons or your Lady dies," Hanabusa threatened, backing up towards Yuki. Yori moved with him, a knife in hand, though Yuki wasn´t sure where she'd gotten it from. Zero, too, took the opportunity to shorten the distance between himself and his comrades.

Her uncle threw back his head and laughed. Yuki stared at him, suddenly unable to see past the laughter. She could no longer see the blood they shared. Rather, all she saw was how the mask of sanity had slipped down, revealing someone far darker, far more treacherous, than she had ever wanted to believe existed.

"Kill her then. I´ve enjoyed her enough. Kill them," Rido repeated, and the guards moved forward instantly.

"The servants' corridor," Zero murmured in an undertone, and Yuki saw Hanabusa nod in agreement.

The blond knight shoved Lady Lara forcibly away from him, sending her stumbling into her husband as Zero wrenched open a discreetly positioned door against the wall behind them.

"Quickly," the silver knight ushered, and Yuki ducked inside, followed closely by Yori.

The two knights hastily entered the passage, pulling the door shut behind them. Almost immediately, the guards on the other side began attempting to open the threshold, but Zero held tight to the knob.

"I've got the door. Go."

Yuki nodded, sprinting off after the other two nobles. She trusted Zero to keep them safe. Almost immediately, however, she could hear the rhythmic pounding of footsteps approaching down an adjacent hallway. Palm sweating against the hilt of her sword, Yuki followed the Aidou lord as he led the way through the castle corridors. The distance between themselves and the guards was rapidly decreasing, however, and the princess knew they did not have much time before the Kuran men were upon them.

"My Lady, keep going out this door. It leads out onto the hillside. Run to the trees. If we get separated, go to Bluestones. It´s the town just down the road. I'll meet you there," Hanabusa bade her in a hushed voice.

"But-" came her immediate protest, not wishing to lose the knight again just after they had been reunited.

"Yuki, go!" Yori pushed her towards the door, and the urgency in her friend´s voice shoved her forward. The princess found the knob and turned, throwing open the door and retreating out onto the open castle grounds.

Regretting her multi-skirted gown and flimsy shoes, Yuki sped towards the trees. Fortunately, although she could hear the alarm sounding now, there was still time for her to escape. None of the guards had left the castle to pursue her just yet, and she hoped her friends would have the same luck.

"Leaving so soon, Princess?" The chilling voice climbed up her spine, freezing her in place.

Yuki whirled, gasping as she saw Rido and his guard Shou. The latter already had drawn his blade.

"What a sad repayment for my hospitality," the older lord chided.

"What hospitality?" Yuki challenged, taking a few cautious steps backwards and noting the way the guard mirrored her movements. "Tell me, is it customary to murder one´s guests in cold blood in the south?"

"It is when they stand between you and your goal." He lifted and dropped his shoulders callously. "But, I'm done talking to you… I wonder if your blood is the same color as mine? Or if it's the yellow coward's blood of your parents?" his eyes sparkled wickedly as his Bloodguard raised the saber in a glinting, silvery arc through the air.

"Uncle…no…," she half-raised her short sword, face exposing her hesitancy and fear.

Rido laughed, "What a bad girl, Yuki, swinging around something so dangerous. You think you're going to keep my guard back with that dwarf knife? How amusing."

With grace and speed that defied the warrior's age, the graying guard sliced his blade downward, the razor-sharp edge barely passing by the quickly retreating princess. Almost before the first attack had ended, the older man lunged forward again, the tip of his sword barely grazing the skin of Yuki's left arm. The girl winced as blood welled in the shallow cut, parrying to the best of her ability and leaping back again. She knew she couldn't hope to defeat the experienced Bloodguard, but she could at least survive long enough for Zero and Hanabusa to reach her.

"Why?" Yuki asked, eyebrows pulling together, stalling for more time.

"Because…I owe Kaien my revenge for stealing the throne away from me and banishing me here." He sneered, and Shou lashed out, lunging forward again and then spinning back, the blade slashing painfully across the petite girl's right arm and stomach.

The brunette gasped in sudden agony, stumbling backwards blindly. Her arms and middle burned, burned so badly that she could barely focus. Tears swam in her eyes, made her want to cry out or fall to the ground, but she raised the sword, blocking the next attack as it whistled towards her, a gleaming light through the air. Her strength faltered for a moment, arms screaming in protest against the demands placed upon them but, gritting her teeth, she held the blade in place.

"We're family!" she protested, eyes igniting with anger and desperation. "Haruka and Kaien were your brothers!" Tears of rage and betrayal welled up. "I came here in peace!"

"When you get angry like that, Yuki…your aura gets even closer to the one Juri had," Rido murmured, mismatched eyes tracking her movements like magnets.

Frustrated, she glared at him, on the verge of tears. Somehow her name sounded dirty on his lips, tainted with emotions and memories that she wanted no part of. The sound of those familiar two syllables was like nails driving through her ears. But she had no time to linger on the thought, because Shou's sword came again, this time sweeping low. Yuki scurried to the left to avoid the blow, tripping over a low shrub and crashed hard against the uncompromising ground, pain rippling outwards through her limbs. She cried out, arms and stomach searing her nerves. Warm blood still seeped from the wounds, drenching her in a coat of scarlet. Where were Zero and Hanabusa? Where was Yori? They should be here by now.

A shadow fell across the dark-haired girl as the Bloodguard stood over her, the tip of his sword pointed at the girl's throat. The blade held a tinge of red, stained slightly with her blood. His cheek, also, was splattered with a streak of the crimson liquid. And his mouth was contorted into a merciless smile, eyes hollow and chilling as they stared down at the princess.

Behind him, Rido spoke the soft, chilling words, "Time to die, Yuki."

"Stop saying my name!" she burst, trembling in fear on the ground. Her eyes bored incinerating, accusing holes into her uncle's.

Somehow, her exclamation gave him pause, because he said abruptly as the guard began to raise his sword arm, "I've changed my mind." The blade lowered and her eyes widened as he purred, "You will let me love you, Yuki."

"What?" she demanded, aghast.

His gaze twisted, becoming something both wistful and lustful all at once. "I want to devour your body slowly."

"I will never be yours. I will never let you touch me," Yuki denied fervently, disgust creeping along her skin. A shudder of revulsion swept through her.

She started to scoot backwards, hoping that someone would crash in to save her. Instead, she heard Rido say, "Stop her," as Shou's foot smashed against her wrist, causing her to drop her sword in a scream of pain. This time, her tears fell in a blinding sheet, body writhing under the crushing heel of that boot, agony spearing up her arm and overwhelming her senses. In the distance, beyond the pain and the loud buzzing in her ears, she heard the blade clatter away out of reach.

"Remove one of her feet. She can't run away without both," her uncle commanded, and panic speared through her, white-hot.

The guard's weapon came up and his boot simultaneously contacted with her stomach, driving into the existing wound he had given her earlier. She wasn't sure if she screamed. Her mind had gone blank. A strange blackness swam in front of her eyes, and her ears were filled with that droning buzz. All she was aware of was that disconcerting sound, the dizzying dread, and the intense agony that drove through every cell in her body. There was no escaping it. It was consuming her, spreading like a virus through every limb, every bone, every fiber. Even the looming blade couldn't distract her from it.

The sword came down, a blazing arc of metal, and suddenly Yuki's mind snapped into focus. She didn't want to be defeated this way, bleeding and helpless on the ground. She didn't want to disappoint Zero, who had shown so much faith in her, who had diligently and patiently taught her how to fight every day. She twisted out from under the weight of the boot, body protesting with all its strength, the tip of Shou's blade clanging futilely against rock where her left foot had been only seconds before. She struggled to stand, the desire to make Zero proud powering her motions, but before she was on her feet she felt Shou kick her chest, sending her reeling back to the ground, head smacking against it with an audible thud.

As though through a heavy fog, she heard Rido commenting, "Your mother was much more docile when I took her. She just called out for Haruka. Of course, Haruka couldn't save her...by then I'd sliced him to bits."

The Bloodguard gave the girl another kick and raised the sword yet again. Yuki was immobilized, bound in place from pain and nausea. There was nothing that she could do, nothing that she could say. Was this really going to be her fate? Was she going to become nothing more than one of Rido Kuran's possessions, maimed and hopeless and trapped? Was this really all that she had learned from Zero in these weeks?

But before the sword could slice down and cut away her freedom, feet pounded across the hillside, and a flash of silver arced through the air. Shou's sword came up abruptly, the sound of metal against metal reverberating through the air. The aging guard jumped backwards, readying the sword again for another attack. Rido drew his own blade now, eyes sparkling lewdly.

"Yuki, are you alright?" The welcome, familiar voice suffused through her veins like a tonic.

"I-I'm okay," she stammered frailly, her own voice nearly failing her.

"How dare you interrupt us," Rido growled.

Zero did not answer, though from the shift in his stance it was clear that he meant to fight.

"I guess I'll just have to kill you, too," the Kuran lord murmured sinisterly.

In answer, the silver knight spun without warning, the vel vitrum blade gliding through the air like silk. Rido threw up his blade to defend as Shou dashed to protect his lord. As he did so, Yuki saw Zero's hand flick outward, and suddenly the older man doubled over with a grunt of pain. A knife was lodged in the man's chest, scarlet blossoming outwards like the bloody roses of the Kiryuu emblem.

Rido hissed, making a hasty retreat towards the castle. "Why...why am I not good enough?" he said. "You will love me one day, Yuki..." A few feet away, Shou was gasping and twitching on the hill, though his lord did not help him.

Zero made no move to pursue the Kuran lord, instead asking, "Are you okay?" as he knelt by the wounded girl's side.

Yuki nodded, eyes staring blankly at the darkening sky, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't move from the pain, but even if she could have, she wouldn't have wanted to. Rido's haunting face was plastered across her thoughts, her heart twisted into a complex knot that could not be undone. She had thought that coming here, that requesting her uncle's aide, was the right thing to do. But now... Now, where would they go? How could she tell Zero that in the moment of truth she had failed to defend herself, failed him completely?

Her knight's cool hands examined her gently, but even such a light touch caused her pain. Her face contorted as she bit her lip to keep from making a sound, left hand clenching until her nails dug into her palm. She didn't dare to move her right hand. Just lying there motionless, it throbbed with pain.

"You should be okay," he concluded at last, though there was a thickness to his voice that she didn't quite recognize.

She grit her teeth, guilty and sore. She didn't want Zero to worry about her, didn't want to cause him any unhappiness. If only she had been a little smarter, a little more agile, a little stronger... If only she had absorbed more of the techniques and skills he had imparted during their lessons... But she had not. All in all, she was just disappointing.

"We have to go," he told her, and an instant later she felt him lifting her up into his arms.

Her body screamed, and she gasped, left hand clenching in his shirt as she pressed her face uselessly against his chest. It _hurt_. Her arms and stomach and hand…everything…her mind and heart, as well… She swam through the agony, vision alternately blurring and clearing, seeing only darkness and the material of his shirt. It seemed like a nice change. Her eyes didn't have to see the traitorous castle on the hill or the empty sword belt at her waist. Instead, all they had to see was near blackness. And still, she felt herself fading, in and out, her fingers slipping from their hold, head falling a little. The only sounds that filled her ears were the faint rustle of Zero's boots through the grass, his slow and even heartbeat, and her own labored breathing. Nothing else.

Her eyes had somehow fallen closed, and she struggled to open them a little. Zero's face remained expressionless, except for the nearly invisible tic of tension that tightened against the corner of his mouth. He was always so apathetic, always so reserved. She had seen him smile before, though. Little, warm smiles that made her heart expand. She wanted to see him smile with his whole mouth, too, one day. But maybe it was better if he didn't. If he smiled like that, maybe his mouth would become lopsided…or something… Her mind grew fuzzy again, and she let herself become submersed in it.

* * *

 **AN:** In the end, you know, I thought a dinosaur might be a little out of the blue? So yeah, no one got eaten. Sorry. XD


	91. 91 Maria

**MARIA**

"Maria, don't cry," Shizuka commanded disdainfully from her seat in the armchair of her outer chamber. "For this day to come, I have waited impatiently for a very long time." Her cousin passed her a silken kerchief, which the girl used to wipe the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes.

"It was murder," she whispered painfully. "We-"

"Silence." The word whipped through the air, stinging Maria's ears. Shizuka's eyes burned cruel, pink embers into her own. "Never speak that word again. There are ears everywhere here in the capital." A pause, and then her cousin's lips lifted into a faint smile. "Our struggles will soon be over, as it is."

"You met with the council today," Maria whispered, sniffling. The older noble lady had wasted no time engaging the council. Maria wondered if gaining the throne would be as simple as Shizuka presumed.

"Indeed." Shizuka moved to the window, leaning languidly against the sill. "I have asserted my claim."

"What of Lord Rido?"

Shizuka laughed. "Lord _Rido?_ "

"He has a claim to the throne, as well...," she murmured, twisting the handkerchief in her hands nervously.

"No one will support such a claim. The council has agreed that Kaien's royal decree is absolute. Rido is banished from the capital until his death. Even then, his bones will not be allowed to rest here. Given my proofs and my persuasions, I believe they are in favor of supporting me."

Puzzled, the girl pressed, "And the other kingdoms? Who will they support?"

"The Nine Kingdoms are in chaos, a chaos I intend to use as a ladder. The Wakabas are dead, the Toumas and the Souens are fighting amongst themselves, the Aidous cowed, and the Kurans broken. Who will oppose me? The Kains?" Shizuka sipped from her goblet, a delicious smile curving her lips upward a touch further. "Maria, you should learn from your time here... The houses are spokes on a wheel, first one on top, then the next, then the next, crushing those on the bottom. It has always been thus."

"And Ichiru is at the center of that wheel," she guessed, glancing towards the inner chamber door, beyond which she knew Ichiru still lay comatose.

"Very good. Yes, the houses have always revolved around the Kiryuus. Their blood is the key to the throne. They were able to break the wheel, to create a dynasty that lasted for centuries. I hope to achieve the same." A pause, then, "Interestingly enough, there is another house I admire who is taking advantage of this situation as well."

"Which?"

"Believe it or not...the Ichijous."

Maria blinked. "I thought they only owned some islands."

"Owned in the past tense, yes. They have taken control of Soshiyu after Kaname's death. Takuma Ichijou has reappeared against all odds, alive, and has effectively brought the minor lords in Soshiyu to heel. He is now in a position of power." Shizuka placed her goblet back on the table, contemplating it as she ran a finger over the elaborate design. "Should the Toumas lose their little war, or should they lose enough power, I will grant you a choice. Perhaps more than one choice, if Hanabusa Aidou is found alive. Rei Touma, Takuma Ichijou, and Hanabusa Aidou would all make excellent allies and husbands, ones we will need to secure if we are going to reign long. You could have your pick of them."

"You're generous, my Lady," Maria muttered through numb lips, choking the limp cloth that she held in her fingers. She knew her cousin was giving her the choice as a kindness, but... There was only one man that she would ever want, and he lay near death. Even if he were to awaken, he still belonged to Lady Hio in heart, mind, body, and soul...as well as through marriage... The situation was completely beyond hope, and yet...somehow, she was frozen...

Shizuka sighed, "Maria, you tire me. All your time here, all that you have learned, and you remain a child. You cannot have Ichiru."

"I am aware of that," she answered, swallowing the lump of grief in her throat.

"Yet you continue to sulk about it. Most girls your age don't have half the freedoms you do, and yet you act as though I mistreat you."

"Forgive me," she whispered, eyes retracing the embroidery of the handkerchief over and over again.

She heard Shizuka sigh, though the older noble said nothing. Maria remained fixated on the cloth in her hands, mind circling again and again over these past weeks. Kaname had poisoned Ichiru... He'd poisoned him, and then... Then they had killed him in cold blood. Maria may not have been the one to wrench his beating heart clean from his chest, but she had been a willingly accomplice to that crime. And although she knew the Nine Kingdoms were better without him as their ruler, although she knew that secretly many people were relieved by his death...still...there was blood on her hands now. Blood this kerchief could never clean off.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Shizuka gestured for the guard to open the door, and both Hio nobles were shocked when the wooden threshold opened, revealing none other than Kaname's Bloodguard, Seiren. Beside her, Maria felt her cousin bristle, and the air palpitated around them. If Seiren was there with ill intentions, Lady Hio would not be unprepared. Maria took a step back. If the Bloodguard were here to kill them, the petite, sickly girl made an easy target.

To the contrary, however, Seiren bowed deeply, murmuring, "My Ladies."

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Shizuka asked archly.

The silver-haired woman took a step forward, causing both ladies to tense, and then knelt at Shizuka's feet, single eye fixed on the Hio lady's elegant slipper. "I would serve you, my Lady."

Maria watched her cousin's eyebrows flick upwards. Shizuka was rarely surprised, but it seemed that Seiren had done just that.

Carefully, the rose-eyed woman asked, "Why, may I ask, would you desire that?"

"It is my code of duty," the former Bloodguard answered solemnly. "You have defeated my former master, therefore I devote myself to your service, if you will have me."

"How amusing. You did not love Kaname Kuran?"

"This is not a question of love or duty. I don't ask you to understand." Seiren did not move from her position, nor did she lift her gaze to the noble woman's face.

Shizuka nodded, refilling her glass and taking another sip of wine before she inquired, "How do I know that you aren't here to avenge your lord?"

"I am an assassin of the Silver Fang," the woman stated quietly. Maria glanced at her cousin, who seemed pleased by this, although Maria herself knew nothing about the Silver Fang, despite having heard the name before.

"I see... Indeed, I have heard rumors of your order... Of your code of duty, too."

"And I offer you information that might be of benefit, as a token of my respect," Seiren continued.

"Oh?" Lady Hio asked. Maria sensed a smile hidden behind the goblet her cousin raised to her lips.

"There is a mage. A seer. He is travelling now to the Dawn Plains in the company of a druid. If you could but capture him, you could use his power to your advantage." Now, Seiren dared to glance upwards at Lady Hio. Her clear, lavender eye was sincere and honest...and vaguely reminiscent of Ichiru. But, then again, Shizuka had remarked that Seiren was a Kiryuu, after all. Did that not give Seiren a claim to the throne, as well? Maria blinked, then mentally shook her head. No, Seiren would receive no support for such a claim. She was no highborn lady...not like Shizuka.

For a second time, white eyebrows jumped a quarter centimeter higher. "A seer, you say?"

"Be wary though, My Lady," Seiren cautioned. "He is...Kaname's younger brother."

The tone dropped and became venomous now, "What?"

"Yes. After Kaname, he does have a claim to the throne, as well... He was to be executed, but he escaped and Lord Rido never officially disowned him. Now he is of age and legally able to stake a claim to the throne, if he chooses. You would do best to capture him secretly and dispose of him when you no longer require his power."

"I...see..." The noble woman's expression remained serene, but Maria knew her cousin well, and she could see the fury burning through those beauteous rose eyes. "Very well. Rise, Seiren. You will be one of my Bloodguard, as you were Kaname's before me. We will perform the oaths this evening."

Maria turned startled eyes to Shizuka. She was actually accepting Kaname's Bloodguard as her own? The action seemed foolishly dangerous. How could they be sure that Seiren was trustworthy? That her information was in fact truth? Yet it was clear that Lady Hio was convinced.

"Thank you, My Lady. I swear to serve you well," the Kiryuu assassin replied, at last standing.

"I'm sure you will. Until this evening," Shizuka answered.

"Yes, M'lady." Seiren bowed again and exited, the door shutting behind her heavily.

"Are you sure you can trust her?" Maria immediately asked.

"I forget how very ignorant you are..." Shizuka set down her glass and smiled slightly. "The Silver Fang only follow the strongest men and women. If their masters are defeated, they pass along their services to the one that defeated them. It's their code."

"Codes can be broken," the girl suggested.

"I doubt it, in this case," her cousin responded with frustrating serenity. Maria wished Shizuka would properly explain things for once, but as expected she did no such thing. Instead, after a brief moment, Lady Hio spoke again, "Maria, I have a task for you. The most difficult one yet."

"Yes, My Lady?" she inquired meekly.

"I wish for you to seek out this seer. You will know him, if he is a Kuran... I trust you will be able to sense his power and the power of the druid who accompanies him. Find him, and if you are able...I want you to take control of him and bring him here."

The request shocked her, and the seconds lurched by while she attempted to gather her scattering thoughts. "But, I have never... I can't! A human being...a seer..! It's too difficult...," she protested. She had barely mastered animals...to try a human was far beyond her capabilities. Besides, she had already tried, so very many times, with Ichiru...tried, and failed.

"Try. If you are unable... It will suffice to know his whereabouts. I will reward you greatly, however, if you are able to bring him here under your control." A pause while her cousin considered. "Or even part of the way here."

"I will try..." Maria acquiesced. She would undoubtedly fail...and undoubtedly bring her cousin's wrath down upon her.

"Good. Now, I wish to be alone."

"Yes..." With a curtsey, the petite girl left her cousin.

Outside in the hall, Maria thought that the castle seemed peculiar now, devoid of so many familiar faces. Kaname was gone, Akatsuki and Ruka fled, and even Lord Aidou and Tsukiko dead. The palace seemed cursed. Who would be next? Herself? Shizuka? Would Ichiru slip away in the night without a word? Her fingers clenched into a fist. She did not want to live to see that day.

So much death abounded, and Maria herself was sickly and frail, and yet her own life persisted despite all the odds. To what purpose? Was she meant to do this thing, to bring the seer to the palace? If she did, how would Shizuka reward her? Surely, her cousin would not give her Ichiru, and any other reward was insignificant in comparison. Nevertheless, she would try. Try, in the hopes that someday she would be able to reach the man she loved in the same manner, mind to mind and heart to heart.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry, gotta leave you guys hanging with the zeki/aidori drama. This week we have a glimpse back at the capital. See you next week with an update on the main gang!


	92. 92 Zero

**ZERO**

Yuki's body limp in his arms, Zero met up with Hanabusa and Yori in the forest surrounding Bluestones. Immediately, they judged remaining near the town to be a mistake. It was close to the castle and Rido would likely send a search party this way. The small cluster of buildings could not hide or shelter them, so they chose instead to follow along a brook that headed generally west, towards the Indigo Mountains.

"Are you hurt?" Zero asked, although both nobles seemed to be moving fine.

"I'm fine," Yori murmured.

Hanabusa shook his head. "No. Nothing more than few bruises."

The silver knight swallowed, glancing down at Yuki. She alone was hurt... The one person he could not stand to see suffer... The one person he wanted to protect more than anyone... Following his gaze, the archer nodded briskly and held up a hand for them to stop.

"I think we're safe enough here. We shouldn't go any further until we tend to Yuki's wounds," Yori advised.

The silver-haired knight complied, gently setting the princess' body down on the flat ground beside the banks of the brook they were following. His arms rebelled, unwilling to relinquish their hold on Yuki, but he stepped away obediently, knowing the Wakaba noble was right. The slender girl was still bleeding, although the flow was slowed, and they couldn't afford to let her lose any more blood, despite the proximity to Rido's castle and the fear of pursuit.

Zero's mouth had gone dry. His eyes swam, unable to process the sight before him. Yuki... Yuki was... His fingers slammed into a fist, teeth clashing against one another. If he had been there to protect her, if he had only been able to break away sooner from where he'd been holding the hall... If he had been more capable, Yuki wouldn't have had to suffer. She wouldn't have had to bear a scar from where Shou's blade had cut her. She wouldn't have had to face her uncle alone with only a small sword to defend herself with.

Zero resented himself for it. Yuki trusted him absolutely. She had always relied on him before to keep her from harm, as was his duty as her knight and...his gut twisted...now her fiancé... His head dropped down into his hands, shoulders trembling. He was worthy of her love less than ever. He didn't understand how she could love someone like him, someone so tainted by sins and blood that he could never be purified. Someone who had utterly failed her in her moment of need...

The swish of a skirt disrupted his thoughts as he was nudged aside by a pair of slender-boned hands. Yori knelt before the princess, twisting her hair into a small, tight bun at the top of her head as she did so. With adept movements, the archer cut away the fabric of Yuki's dress where it clung to her wounds. Zero noticed immediately that the cut on the girl's left arm was shallow and would heal without trouble. The gash that had sliced across her right arm and stomach, however, was deeper and far more concerning. Where her skin was visible, Zero could already see dark purple bruises forming, undoubtedly from the rough treatment she had received from the Bloodguard's boots.

But although Rido had initiated it, although Shou had been the one to draw steel, it was Zero who had done this to her. Himself, and no one else. He had failed to protect Yuki... Because of him, Yuki was lying unconscious and bleeding on the ground. He knew he would never be rid of this image, this moment. It would haunt him forever, this moment of utter failure and internal agony.

"Hanabusa, start a fire, please," Yori commanded, and the blond knight immediately began gathering wood from the surrounding area. His movements were mechanical, disassociated, and Zero briefly felt a wave of empathy for the knight amidst the self-abhorrence and regret. Hanabusa, too, had lost a great deal. All of them were touched by tragedy, now...

Zero watched, immobilized by a torrent of tormented thoughts, as the Wakaba noble took control of the situation. Using her knife, she hacked off most of the length of her skirts, cutting them expertly into long strips. One of these strips she dipped in the water from the brook and began gently washing the blood from the wounds, muttering, "The water should be boiled... But we haven't a pot..." Against the rock, Yuki sweat and shivered, lips quivering as though in the grasp of a bad dream.

Behind the silver knight, Hanabusa had coaxed a tiny flame from the wood. In a few moments, Yori stood abruptly, laying the blade of the knife in the strengthening fire as she began to browse the area. Every so often, the archer plucked the leaves of a particular plant, gathering them into a pile in what was left of her outer skirt. Zero took the princess' hand in his own, lips drawing together in a line of taut worry. There within his grasp, her hand seemed so tiny...so fragile... He swallowed. Her life could be so easily extinguished here like this, and he would be helpless to stop it. Just as he had been helpless to prevent the deaths of his family, his friends, and her adopted father...

A hand on his shoulder startled him. The silver-haired knight looked up at Hanabusa, whose lips twitched grimly as he stated in a raspy, grief-stricken voice, "She'll be alright. Yuki wouldn't let a wound like this get the best of her."

The silver-haired man nodded tersely, eyes returning instantly to the face of the woman he loved. The image of her, unconscious and bloodied, churned sickeningly in his stomach.

"I wish none of this had ever happened," he murmured, a rare admittance of emotion.

A pause. "No...don't say that. Not everything that has come to pass has been ill-fated. You are able to stand beside Yuki, as I now stand with Yori. I wouldn't trade her love for anything."

"But, everything that Kaname has done..." If they could only go back in time, perhaps all the bloodshed, all the insidious conspiracies...the bloody wounds that marred the princess' innocent skin...perhaps all of it could be undone... Because of Yuki's cousin, the princess was hurt like this... Rage surfaced now, searing across his features.

"It's true... After everything, we harbor wounds that cut far deeper than a blade, wounds that have taken hold and cannot be mended, yet... I do not think any of us regret everything that has happened..." Hanabua motioned for him to stand as Yori returned. "I don't believe Yuki will regret having chanced her uncle's aide, despite the scar she'll bear for it."

"Out of the way," Yori commanded brusquely, brushing both knights aside as she laid the leaves in a pile beside the unconscious princess and moved to retrieve the blade from the flames. Her face was hard and determined, sharpened with focus. "Hanabusa, give me a stick the width of your thumb, and take the knife back to the flames as soon as I tell you."

The blond passed her a nearby stick after a moment of searching, which Yori placed in Yuki's mouth between her teeth. Zero started, muscles jerking in reflexive protest, but Yori held out a hand to calm him, saying, "The wounds have to be cauterized or she'll bleed out. Hold her still for me."

The knight complied, filled with self-loathing. The princess had to bear pain she should never have known. Worse, since their packs remained in Rido's castle, all of the medical supplies he had brought were lost to them. There was no way for them to sew the wound shut. His only solace was that she wasn't conscious and hopefully would have no memory of the burning blade against her flesh.

The archer laid the blade flat against the gash on Yuki's stomach for only a mere second or two, but the princess spasmed desperately in his arms, even unconscious as she was. The archer repeated this and then directed, "Now," and Hanabusa placed the blade back into the flames to reheat. This procedure was repeated twice more to shut the wound, which had finally ceased its steady stream of blood, and then again with the gash on her right arm. Afterwards, Yori washed the wounds a second time and bound them in a wrap of leaves and the strips of cloth from her former skirt. The stick Yuki had been made to bite was tossed into the fire.

"Unfortunately, this is beyond my skill to heal with the materials available to us," Yori whispered, and the words gauged deeply and directly into his heart. "We need a doctor. Cauterized wounds are particularly susceptible to infection."

"We're days from any large town," Hanabusa observed in a low voice. "If the wounds do become infected, we'll never make it in time..."

"We don't have a choice," the auburn-haired noble returned. "We have to make it, or I fear..." She trailed off, lips quivering.

The world slipped out of focus. The words that his companions exchanged were lost in a whirring buzz as his mind began to comprehend the weight of Yori's words. If they didn't find help, if they weren't able to reach a doctor... The air stabbed painfully through his throat as he sucked in a dry, shuttering breath. He didn't want to imagine life without Yuki. He wouldn't survive such a loss. The ancient blood that ran through his veins would demand revenge, and he would lose himself there in the dark abyss of vengeance.

They had to save her. Zero would do anything, trade his own life, if it meant that she would survive. _Please, let her live..._ The words inundated his heart. _Please, don't let the wounds become infected... Please..._

 _Please._

* * *

 **AN:** Poor Zero...


	93. 93 Takuma

**TAKUMA**

 _She was crouched over him, sliding her cruel, voracious fingers up his torso, her fingers running rampant across his body. She was gripping his wrists and prying them inexorably apart and away from where they shielded his face with a wicked, caustic smile contorting her ruby red lips. She lowered her head to kiss him, and he could swear, swear that her teeth were fangs and her mouth was dripping hot, fresh blood. He could taste it on his own tongue and struggled against her, tried to scream although he knew that if he didn't swallow he would suffocate. And when he swallowed, the vile, metallic liquid coated his insides with sugary sweetness… He could feel it inside him, changing him, sickening him, rotting his bones. The pressure of her lips was crushing him and the blood swirling in his stomach was vibrating faster and faster until it seemed it might explode outwards and shatter him from within._

 _For one frantic, desperate moment, he thought he would die. But then the hands of reality seized him and drug him back to consciousness._

Takuma gasped, jerking upright as he shook and recoiled from his familiar bed in the Timeless City. Faint beads of perspiration slid down his forehead, sticking his hair to his skin. He could taste blood and realized he had bit his tongue. Wincing, he adhered to a strict rhythm of breathing, attempting to exert some control over the irrational fear that pumped through his veins. He was trembling and weak, drained from the intensity of his nightmare.

Head reeling, he automatically glanced to his left, expecting the Shirabuki noble to be asleep at his side. When she wasn't, a grin cracked across his dry lips. Gone, she was gone. Truly, really, finally… A sound startled him and a beat later he recognized it as his own low laughter. At the same time, he was nearly incapacitated with the fear of what would await him when returned.

Returned? No. Never.

Yes. He was hers.

His head sunk into his hands, temples pulsating with tormented indecisions. Outside, the sun cracked like an egg yolk, slipping down in the sky and over the rim of the horizon. For Takuma, the light was meaningless. He was entrapped in a starless day, a sunless night with no way out. His fear and the hysteria were infecting the room, seeping across the floors, creeping up the windows, and oozing through every crack and crevice until their stench became so noxious he felt that he was choking.

Propelling himself to his feet, Takuma had nearly reached the door before he turned, taking his sword off the table upon which it was currently resting. He felt safer with a blade in his hand. In case this turned out to be a dream. In case Sara was lurking, determined to send him back into the bowels of darkness and insanity. He could almost sense her presence beside him as he stalked the corridors; an invisible spider perched on his shoulder, whispering vitriolic promises of love.

Even if he remained beyond her reach, even if he stayed here, he would never be rid of her. From a certain perspective, it was true, he would always be hers. She had warped him, erased him, reconstructed him, and she was right. No one else would ever be able to hold him like she had. But. The thought of holding anyone at all sent violent tremors through his body. He might kill them. He might kill himself. He couldn't stand being touched. Now the brush of fingers across so much as his arm was like the snagging, slicing of broken glass.

And it was Asato behind it all, a menacing, somber figure of yellow and grey, marked with eyes like twin shards of ice. He had abandoned his grandson to Sara Shirabuki. Why? _Why?_ It would never add together in his head. Those fumbling thoughts left him with the sword clutched tighter in his slick, sweating palm. Lord Ichijou wanted Takuma to be strong, to be callous and uncompromising.

He had certainly succeeded at that.

The blond noble pushed open the door to his grandfather's study. Asato, who in this moment appeared to be a stranger, nothing more or less than an elderly gentlemen, spry of limbs, with a closely trimmed beard and a solemn expression, studied the sunset from his window. His hands were folded tidily on the desk before him and his eyes, their color and disposition obscured by some strange shadow, were distant as he watched the sky lifelessly drain away its colors.

The study in which he sat was a somber space, decorated in accordance to Asato's peculiar tastes. The desk on which his hands sat was made of stained wood, it's top empty save for his hands and a few neatly stacked papers. The carpet was a rich mahogany and the walls were wood, though their tone was somewhat darker. On these walls were two portraits. One was of a woman whose beauty held an ominous note. Where her hair ended and the black backdrop began was uncertain, and her eyes seemed to glow with an unnatural light. This was Kurenai Kuran, the first Kuran to rule after the Kiryuus. The other portrait contained a man in his middle years, his hair flecked with gray and his face starting to show the lines that came with age. There was a gleam in his eye and a bemused smile on his face, but it wasn't the look of a happy man; rather, it was the look of one who has gazed over the edge, seen the bottomless void below, and felt something break within him. This was Hideki Kiryuu, the last Kiryuu king. For the first time in the twenty-five years he had spent looking at that portrait, Takuma felt the sting of connection with the Kiryuu. It was ironic that the end of the dynasty was marked by a man not unlike himself, now. A man who had been doomed to lose everything, to watch an empire crumble around him in blood as a sinister beauty rose to power. Takuma intended to initiate the end of a dynasty, as well.

The young Ichijou noble knocked softly on the open door, announcing his presence before he stepped inside. Asato turned from the window and snapped his fingers briskly. A chair was brought into the study by a servant and Takuma was invited to sit with a brusque, silent gesture. Once this was done and the door tightly closed the hands on the desk moved from their restful position into that of a steeple. Chill eyes regarded him, freezing the space between them.

"What is this about?" Asato asked after a pause.

"Why?" Takuma demanded, green eyes flashing indignantly, painfully against the blue ones across the desk.

"Ah. I'm disappointed once again by your trivialities. I thought Sara would have broken you of them." His hands folded together, thumbs upward, as he shook his head and continued, "Takuma, ever since the days of my youth, when I first witnessed with my own eyes how utterly dreadful Kuran blood could be, I slowly started to move towards this idea. This idea that the Kurans are perhaps, out of all of us, least fit to rule. Kuran history is stained with blood, violence, and madness." His gaze flicked to the portrait of Kurenai Kuran. "Kaname was the same as them. Did you love Kaname? Do you think he loved you?"

"I fought for him, but I do not love him." The words resounded bitterly. They had been friends for years…but Takuma knew better than most how monstrosity had began to corrupt the Kuran noble. Maybe it was best he had died before he could descend further into that abyss.

Asato nodded. ''Good. It was your blade he needed. Not your love. Yuki, unlike her relations, did not have that streak of evil, but she was weak because of it." He studied the younger noble for a moment and then said, "This idea I had… The Kurans have in their very blood the memories of rebellion, betrayal, and murder…and as such, they should be considered by birth the mortal enemies of the Kingdoms. It isn't any different for Kaname, Rido, or Yuki. But I realized I myself did not have to take any action. I could remain here patiently and wait. I thought it would be excellent for House Ichijou if the lords gathered in the capital could tear each other apart until they devour one another and are completely eradicated. Their houses might even fall from power entirely. And who is here, ruling Soshiyu, to pick up the pieces?"

"You conspired for Kaname's death from the beginning," Takuma whispered.

"Naturally." The word was callous, clear, and contained not a hint of regret. "However, as I had hoped, another has removed the problem for me. And here we are, as I planned from the beginning, in control of Soshiyu. Although, I admit, I had a fair amount of correspondence with the Shirabukis and Hious in case my patience was not rewarded. They have allied themselves with us, albeit secretly."

"And for their aide, what did you promise them?" His fingers tightened against the hilt of the sword.

"I promised Shizuka Hio the crown. She will have that now. As well as my allegiance, for the time being. I do intend to take the throne, as well, in time. Our house will rise, Takuma, to heights it has never known before. You could be the next king…"

Takuma ignored this statement entirely. "And for the Shirabukis?" His body was still, vibrating against the unspoken truth.

"Isn't it obvious? I temporarily lent you to them. You were far too soft. Not only that…when you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love. Sara will do anything for you. Do not use this power lightly."

"I don't belong to you. I'm not a possession to be traded. The end you want…this idea…true or not, it does not justify the means you have used to ensure it." The words were dark, shadowed, murky. They clouded the space of the room with inky ripples as he rose to his feet, gripping his blade with pale, tense knuckles. "Do you know what she did to me? Do you know what I have seen, what I have felt?"

"The strong devour the weak, Takuma. You are now the strong." A new emotion touched Asato´s eyes. Takuma thought that it was pride. Terrible, misplaced pride.

"You're right, Grandfather." A laughing, hysterical gleam blemished his eyes as he raised the blade. "The strong do devour the weak." With a single fluid motion, Takuma thrust the clean, pristine blade deep into Asato´s chest, leaning forward to murmur, "I'm glad the carpets here are mahogany. It hides stains better than most colors." He smirked manically, lips twisting upwards as thick crimson spilled onto the floor.

"You'd kill…your own blood…?" the older noble demanded, pitching forward as the sword slid out again. Blood streamed down the man´s body as he breathed heavily against the wooden desk.

"You have…proven your mettle…," Asato wheezed, stilling under his grandson´s perturbed gaze.

Takuma's shoulders jumped in a fragmented laugh. He had originally thought that after he killed his grandfather, he would be much sadder about it. Instead, he felt no remorse. Rather, he felt oddly empty. There was no empowerment, no vengeance, no grief. The sun had vanished from the sky, and the evening was bleak. Dreary, dusky clouds hung sullenly over where the orb of light had once colored the sky. Now, no spot of sunlight showed through their gloomy pallor. Even the wind had slowed to a melancholy pace; it was still except for its occasional sigh.

That sigh brought with it the cursed, foreboding words, _"Go with your grandfather. Go with him, let him believe you are unchanged, and then…when the time is right…kill him. Kill him and prove that you are mine."_

The blond noble stared at the corpse of his grandfather, the man who had raised him after his own parents had died. Stared at the blood staining the old man's clothes, dripping and pooling in the carpet. Stared into the unseeing grey eyes. The absence of grief or regret overwhelmed him. He had been a pawn for everyone to move as they had seen fit. And now?

The door creaked open and Takuma whirled, stabbing the sword through the approaching servant, who wordlessly collapsed in a heap at his feet. The deed was done. The servant who had seen him enter these chambers was dead, as well. There was no evidence here to trace back to Takuma. Sheathing the sword, he stepping around the wet blood and returned to his room, where he rinsed and scrubbed the blade in the tub of water before dumping the tub out the window.

Finished. It was finished. And yet, he was frightened. Frightened, because he was unsure who he had done this for. Himself, or Sara Shirabuki?

* * *

 **AN:** Not what you were expecting, I'm sure. XD


	94. 94 Hanabusa

**HANABUSA**

They had been walking for days. There was no food, save the mushrooms, berries, and occasional nuts Yori collected from the woods, and the majority of those were fed to Yuki to keep her strength up. Slumping against a tree and sinking down to the earth, Hanabusa felt that his stomach had become disconnected from the rest of his body. If they didn't find a village soon, not only Yuki, but all of them might die here. They were following the brook so that they were never far from water, but they had no way to catch the small fish that darted through its depths, and neither would such tiny fish make much of a meal for any of them. They were becoming desperate, even more so now that Yuki's wounds had become infected.

Yuki woke now and then, though mostly she slept in an unconscious stupor as fever gripped her. It was better that way. If she did pass away, at least... At least she wouldn't even realize it... It was cold comfort, because he didn't even want to entertain the notion that Yuki might not pull through, but nevertheless he thought that dying in the midst of a fevered dream was better than being killed or driven to suicide by Kaname Kuran, like his father and sister...

Hanabusa trembled, head buried in his hands, sucking in deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. Grief, anger, and sorrow vied for dominance over him, but he could not give in to them. Not here and not now, not when Yuki's wound festered with infection and Zero barely saw him through a haze of suffering. He squeezed his eyes more firmly shut, chest coiled so tightly that he could scarcely breathe. If they were going to save Yuki, if they were going to survive, he needed to be strong.

The feeling of suffocation gripped him steadily.

He did not doubt his decisions. He did not regret fulfilling his duties and following Yuki away from the capital, but if he had stayed... If he had stayed, would his father still be alive? Would Tsukiko? He gave a muffled gasp, forcing down the threatening sob of heartbreak that swelled heavily in his throat. The air was closing off dizzily. Tsukiko...his precious older sister...

A pair of soft, warm hands closed gently around his wrists, tugging them away from his face. He didn't resist, instead pulling the slender, auburn-haired woman into his arms and sucking in a shuddering breath as her presence diffused some of the tension that circled his chest like a choking iron band. She wrapped her arms around him and he leaned into the embrace, ducking his head against her shoulder and wishing he could just surrender like this to despondency and rage. But he would not. Yori had shown him how to be strong in the face of tragedy and despair. He would not force her to shoulder the burdens of responsibility alone while the rest of them were incapacitated by grief. No, he would soldier on for her, even if the situation passed beyond all hope. He fervently hoped that would not happen.

Fingers brushed across his cheek, and Yori murmured into his ear, "At least, justice has been meted out... Though death is perhaps too merciful for a man like Kaname Kuran."

Hanabusa's jaw clenched, hands twitching against the young woman's back as a pulse of infuriation passed through him. He had wanted to face the criminal himself, blade in hand. He had wanted to watch the king crumble before them, to have the satisfaction of revenge, which was now forever lost to not only him, but all of them. Unfulfilled, he didn't know where to direct the currents of his fury and grief. They had risen to a tidal force with no release. They could still win the throne for Yuki from her uncle, who it would surely be passed to, but some of their purpose had been suddenly deflated.

"I know...I wanted it, too," Yori whispered, seeming to read his thoughts. "But at least that decision has been taken away from Yuki. She no longer has to decide what punishment to give her cousin..."

Tenderly, the Wakaba noble ran her fingers through his hair before tugging his chin, silently asking him to raise his head. He did so, though he refused to look at her, averting his eyes. He didn't want to see her expression, because he was afraid that her love would move him to tears. The fist of sorrow was pushing through his ribs again, demanding fulfillment. He denied it. He would mourn his family later. Later, when Yuki was not edging closer to death.

"Hanabusa...look at me," she bade, and against his will his eyes involuntarily jumped to hers. Jumped, and were immediately immersed in warm, golden brown. She smiled, the motion forlorn, and whispered, "It's okay. We can't go any further tonight. You can be strong tomorrow."

 _That's what I should have said to you._ Somehow, Yori found the words he never had, and he wished he could have offered her more comfort then, back in the basin.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed her hands against his face, trembling. Somehow, confronted with her sincere gaze, he could not hide his sorrow. He was losing, slowly but surely, slipping away from himself as a tear blazed a trail of hot liquid from the corner of his eye. He didn't want her to see him like this, but neither could he escape, and in the next moment he was clutching her tightly to him, unable to restrain the tears that he now shed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Yori repeated, holding him there under the shadow of the moonlit trees.

 _As long as you don't leave me, too_ , he thought, but the thought was lodged in his throat and he couldn't speak.

He lost himself there in her arms, lost himself to an incomparable sorrow such as he had never before known. This summer, he hadn't been able to visit his family. It had been over a year since he had seen their faces, heard their voices. And now, he would never again be with his father or his sister. They were forever lost, snatched away in the blink of an eye. He could not retrieve them. Could not avenge them. Could not even bury them or say goodbye. It was the same pain Yori had assuredly felt when her own family had been murdered, the same pain Zero must have felt to wake up alone in the aftermath of that unforgiveable slaughter. The same pain, repeated over and over in a vicious cycle...

Hanabusa's father would no longer lecture him, no longer intimidate the court and the kingdoms into following his biding. Neither could his father issue him a new sword, the only keepsake he had ever given his son... For now, Hanabusa was forced to wield the traitorous blade Rido had bestowed upon him, even as the hilt burned against his palm with the acid of bitter betrayal.

And Tsukiko... Fresh tears slipped past his defenses. Tsukiko. She was the oldest of his sisters, and the most childish, spoiled by everyone in the castle. Childish, yet meek and innocent. To think that she had been given to Kaname Kuran, to think that his filthy hands had broken her... Of all his sisters, Tsukiko had been least fit to wed the Kuran noble. His other sisters might have resisted, might have endured, but not her... Tsukiko was too fragile, coddled and sheltered her whole life as she had been.

But there was no turning back. The road they walked could not be untravelled. They had no choice but to continue along it, for better or worse. And Yori was beside him. All of the pain and the grief didn't seem so daunting, knowing that. Although the warmth and shelter of her arms couldn't restore his family to life, they restored some of the strength within him. It was just enough. Just enough to keep him from entirely falling apart.

Steadying himself a little, he sat up, wiping away the tears. He hadn't nearly mourned them enough, and he promised himself that later, he would have time. Carefully, he withdrew the chain that Yori concealed, tucked away beneath the bodice of her ruined dress, and traced the familiar contours of his house ring, which remained suspended at the end of the chain. Yori smiled, though she didn't speak, watching him as his gaze fixated on the eagle crest of his house.

Then, quietly, he said, "I think my father would have approved of you, regardless of his feelings on our marriage... He was like you a little, resilient and strong-willed... In some ways, I think you're more of an Aidou than I." His lips quirked upwards. "Although, I hope to bring you into our house sooner rather than later."

A soft laugh. "I don't think that the Aidous and the Wakabas are so different. Our houses complement each other." Her eyes grew worried, and she added, "Considering all that's happened, I would prefer not to wait, either..."

"After we find a village, we should head to the mountains, anyway... Rido will replace Kaname on the throne. Our best hope is to unite the Aidous and the Kains."

"That leaves so many loose pieces... What if the other houses back Rido?" she asked, frowning.

"Do you honestly believe that the Nine Kingdoms would willingly accept a murderer on the throne when the true heir to the throne lives?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore. Rei Touma would probably enjoy it," she answered scathingly.

"That's true... And the Ichijous have always been the lapdogs of the Kurans. But there are also the Hios, Shirabukis, and Souens... I don't believe all of them would side with Rido." He scowled. Perhaps the task ahead of them had only grown more difficult, now that Kaname was dead...

"One step at a time," Yori murmured. "For now, you should rest. I'm going to change Yuki's bandages one last time."

"Alright." He nodded heavily, leaning forward to kiss her before releasing her. "Wake me in an hour or two to keep watch."

"Sleep well," she told him.

Hanabusa was a little suspicious of her lack of affirmation to his request, but as soon as he lay on the soft moss beneath the tree, he was asleep, lost in the dreamless black void of exhaustion.

* * *

 **AN:** Happy times... LOL


	95. 95 Ruka

**RUKA**

Ruka hated being wrong. But, in spite of all her misgivings, staying in Sunridge Fort had proved to be an overall positive experience. She enjoyed her teatimes, afternoon rides, and even the occasional competition with the guard. As for Akatsuki, he had been excellent company, and a complete gentleman besides. He'd taken her on a tour of the makeshift city, where he'd bought for her a lovely set of amber jewelry, danced with her until her feet were sore, arranged private meals when she wasn't in the mood for company, taken her riding, gracefully lost to her at chess on multiple occasions, and even made her laugh with his understated humor. And even if she still disliked the arrangement that had been made against her knowledge or will, if she did have to marry, why not marry her best friend? She knew Akatsuki would be a good husband, even if she wasn't in love with him.

With that in mind, Ruka thought she would ask him to go riding with her. Lady Akira had told her that Akatsuki was heading towards the river, so Ruka followed the well-traveled dirt path that led to it. The surrounding scrub made her wistfully think of the Arcadian Gardens, but the Dawn Plains offered its own perks. She didn't have to rein in her behavior quite as tightly here, and neither did she have to observe quite as many courtly rules and etiquettes as she would have there. It was a refreshing change, although she still couldn't envision living here on a permanent basis. She blanched. No, wherever she built her home, it should at least have some of the luxuries she was accustomed to.

The river itself was fairly shallow and winding, neighbored by a few sparse trees. Despite its pathetic imitation of a real river, much of the laundry was done here, and some people came to bathe or swim when the weather permitted. That was really all it was good for, anyway. It wasn't deep enough for big fish, and it certainly wasn't wide or deep enough for boat travel.

Nearly at the bank now, Ruka scanned the area for any sign of the redhead knight. A split second later she found him and froze, hand flying to her mouth in chagrin and horror. Akatsuki was standing in plain view at the edge of the water, toweling himself dry from a bath, rivulets of water running down his...bare...muscular...body. It'd been a long time since she'd seen much of the Kain noble's skin, and since then he had become nothing but fluid muscle. She was sure there wasn't an inch of fat on his body. He was...admittedly...very attractive... She flushed abruptly, startled by the turn of her thoughts.

Attempting to leave quietly, Ruka backed up a step...her foot snapping a single branch in half. The crack resounded loudly through the area. She cringed as Akatsuki looked up, eyes meeting hers.

"Ah...Ruka!" The Kain noble seemed flustered for a moment as he clothed himself rapidly.

"I-I'm sorry. I...I didn't know," Ruka stammered. She could feel her face heating up to ugly red.

"It's okay," he answered a touch quietly, tying his sword belt around his waist and drying off his hair as he stepped forward. The reddish strands were darker when damp, more of an auburn, mussed by the towel and framing his face in a charming fashion. Wait... Ruka mentally wrang her hands. _Charming?!_ No way was Akatsuki charming, or attractive, or anything else. He was a brute, just like all the Kains.

She bit her lip, at a loss. She hadn't meant to spy on Akatsuki, much less when he was bathing! There was nothing she could say to ease the situation except, "I wanted to ride with you... Your mother told me you went this way..."

"It was an accident." Having recovered his composure, the redhead seemed almost bemused by her embarrassment. His brown eyes glittered at her in subtle mirth. She pressed her lips together in displeasure. Yes, laugh it up. The graceful, poised Lady Ruka couldn't think of anything tactful to say for once. "And I'd love to go riding with you," he added.

Except now Ruka wasn't sure she wanted to go riding with him at all. Unfortunately, she'd offered, and he'd already accepted, so now she supposed she was forced to go through with it.

"Shall we head back, to the stables?" He offered her his arm, which she begrudgingly took.

Despite their little...accident...Ruka was slightly jealous. Akatsuki was cool and refreshed after his dip in the river. Meanwhile...today was particularly hot, more than usual. The heat of the afternoon sun was merciless, and the loose hairs that had escaped her bun were sticking to her skin. There was nothing to be done about it, in spite of her less than immaculate appearance. Sweat beaded down the small of her back and between her breasts in an uncomfortable manner. As was the fashion in the Kain capital, she had taken to wearing her hair up during the daylight hours, whether it be in a braid, a bun, or something else. Many of the women wore silk trousers to combat the summer heat and to keep their garments out of the dust. Ruka hadn't been able to bring herself to abandon her skirts, but she'd had the servants hem them up a bit shorter than what was deemed appropriate in the capital. It was strange to see her calves exposed, but at the same time she was grateful to not have a train of fine fabric to drag behind her through the dirt. Besides, it was nice to have her shoes noticed and complimented on, whereas before they had usually been hidden beneath her dresses. Today she wore a gown of marigold slashed with bronze that complimented the honey color of her hair.

"Did you have tea with Kyoko?" he inquired.

"Yes, although lately she only wants to talk about the baby." She lifted her eyes skyward. "I don't have tea with her so that she can run her list of two hundred baby names by me."

Akatsuki laughed. "She's very excited."

"I can tell. Although I'm not sure I see the point of asking my opinion on a name she's already decided she likes or doesn't like." Ruka blanched. Today's tea time had been outright insufferable.

"She's due to have it soon, isn't she?"

"I guess so. She looks to be at the bursting point. Are the doctors sure it isn't twins?"

Another laugh. "Twins don't run in the family. The doctors are quite sure, there's only one, no matter how it seems."

"Good grief," Ruka muttered. She shuddered to think of herself growing so...robust.

"By the way, we received ravens from the Arcadian Gardens this morning. One was for you. The other letter was for my mother, but I saw enough of it to know that your family is well. Though, they're still struggling with the Toumas, of course."

"That's good to hear." Ruka had been worried that they might be cross with her for coming to the Dawn Plains rather than home, but instead they were relieved that she was safe and far away from any conflict. Of course, she was concerned about the fighting as well, but she trusted her father and brothers to command, not directly participate in the bloodshed. "I must have missed the courier."

"I'm sure it will be waiting for you when we get back." He paused, then, "Do you hear anything?"

They were at the outskirts of the city. The knight brought them to a halt, head cocked to one side as he listened. Ruka stilled, listening as well. There was definitely something. Hoof beats, a clang, and then shouting. In the distance, down the street they now walked, three riders came into view. The Souen noble didn't recognize these men. They were bare-chested, with orange sashes tied around their waist and their hair tied back into long braids. When they caught sight of the pair of nobles, they gave a shout, galloping towards them and brandishing weapons. Ruka paled.

"Raiders," Akatsuki muttered, drawing his sword. "Get back." He shoved her unceremoniously away from him. "Get out of range."

Without thinking, Ruka complied. She was glad that she had chosen to wear leather-soled slippers for walking outdoors. If she had been in heels, she would have never managed to move away in time. The riders were fast, although fortunately separated enough that they wouldn't reach the redhead all at once. Akatsuki brandished his blade, his stance looked wary. When Ruka judged she had moved far enough away to be safe, she stopped. Perhaps she should have run, but even if she did, she might end up placing herself into even more danger. Who knew how many attackers there were altogether? And also, she somehow felt that she could not run away and leave the Kain noble to his fate.

She knew the red haired knight was strong. Even for a knight and a lord, he was strong. Yet, against three armed men on horseback, how was he going to defend himself unarmored and with only his sword? Frantically, she searched the area for something, anything, that might be of assistance, but the land was scrub and hard-packed earth, and the street empty. She herself was entirely without weaponry, and even her nails weren't really long enough for scratching, should it come to that.

The first horseman reached the Kain lord. Her heart was in her throat. "Akatsuki, watch out!" she cried, eyes wide, as the knight leapt out of the way of the galloping beast at the last moment, narrowly missing the whish of a blade over his head. His own sword arm moved, slashing across the legs of the horse closest to him. The creature shrieked in pain and stumbled; the man on its back tumbled less than gracefully from the saddle, and Akatsuki finished him off a moment later, running the point of his sword cleanly through the other's ribs. Ruka didn't have time to register the blood, though her chest tightened as the stranger's mount screamed again in agony. A horse only did as it was told, it did not deserve such a fate...

By then, the second rider was approaching. Ruka was torn with indecision. She could run forward and take the curved sword that lie in the ground, but that would make her a target, and one that had no knowledge at all of how to use such a weapon. She would be next to no help that way, and she didn't want Akatsuki distracted by trying to keep her safe. No, she shouldn't move, and even if she thought it might help, she didn't think she could. Her knees were trembling, a vision of Lord Aidou's bloody head rolling across her memory.

This rider was more wary. He had seen Akatsuki kill his companion, and he weaved back and forth dangerously, his pole arm a far more deadly weapon, given the extra range it provided. Had her friend's life not been in jeopardy, she would have been appalled and disgusted. Men and their sticks! How she hated them... Instead, her heart raced, unsure if the knight could succeed against this second opponent. She didn't really know what she was doing, but as the gap closed between Akatsuki and the rider, she opened her mouth and screamed, as shrilly and loudly as she could.

The sound had the desired effect. Both men started, and the horse side-stepped, eyes rolling up nervously at the unexpected noise. It was the knight who recovered first, however. This time, he managed to dodge the point of the spear, grabbing the shaft and using his weight to pull the stranger from his saddle. A quick thrust of the sword ended the second rider's life as easily as the first. Akatsuki sheathed his blade, taking up the spear instead, and caught hold of the reins of the horse, who was pacing around listlessly without a rider.

Hoisting himself into the saddle, the redhead urged the animal to a run, heading straight towards the third and final rider, who was hollering in what Ruka assumed was some pitiful attempt at a battle cry. Hefting up the spear, Akatsuki took aim, and threw the weapon across the rapidly closing distance between them. The spear whistled through the air, the rider attempting to dodge out of the way. The weapon arced down, and although the rider was quick, Akatsuki had been quicker. The man managed to avoid a fatal injury, but the spear struck him in the shoulder, throwing him from the back of the horse. His blade dropped heavily from his hand, skittering across the ground and out of reach. Akatsuki brought his own mount to a halt and dispatched the wounded attacker.

The continued cries of the injured horse made Ruka's legs move. Unsteadily, she moved to where the scimitar lay in the dirt. Somehow, she couldn't force herself to pick it up. She had to do something; the horse would never recover from its wounds, but... To kill it with her own hands?! She couldn't do it. Her hands shook at the mere thought.

Akatsuki rode back, leading the second horse by the reins. He stopped near her and dismounted, seeming to understand her thoughts. "Don't look, Ruka," he said gently, and a moment later she heard the beast scream once more. After that, silence.

The noble woman took deep breaths to calm herself. The buzzing was in her ears again, the same sound she'd heard before collapsing in the throne room when Kaname had beheaded Lord Aidou. She felt on the verge of fainting, or maybe sobbing, but the slow inhalation, exhalation through her lungs kept her from either. Or perhaps it was the knight himself who spared her either experience; once she caught sight of him, his trousers and sword blade spattered with blood, she was abruptly furious and worried all at once. He was returning the blade to its scabbard now, but she wouldn't soon forget the crimson stains there.

Her long legs moved her to him in a few strides. He opened his mouth and started to ask, "Are you-?" but she cut him off, demanding, "How could you be so reckless?! You charged in without a second thought of your life! They could have killed you, they outnumbered you three to one!" Despite her harsh words, her hands seemed to move on their own, checking him over, comforting herself when she found no wounds. He seemed to be unharmed. "Did they hurt you? That had better not be your blood, Akatsuki Kain!"

The young lord's eyebrows climbed up a notch, and then the corners of his eyes crinkled, almost as though he was holding back a smile. He shook his head. "No, I'm unscathed," he answered simply.

"And lucky to be so!" she scolded. "Without any armor, without anyone to guard your back, you could have been killed!" For some reason, she was back to shaking. She had stood beside a dead man. Thought of taking his weapon. Thought of putting an end to the horse's misery with her own two hands. There had been blood there, a pool of it around him. And very nearly, that corpse could have been the knight's, instead. Suddenly she felt back on the precipice of a breakdown again. She had hoped to never again see a man killed again, and here were three more and a horse besides.

Ruka wasn't sure who moved first, but suddenly Akatsuki's arms were around her, and she was holding onto him tightly. "It's okay, it's over," he told her, and somehow his deep, low voice was comforting. She nodded against him, trying desperately to master herself once more. She was Ruka Souen! She would not be overcome in this moment, even if there were four bodies lying in their own blood around her.

Her fingers tightened in the material of his shirt at his back and she murmured angrily, "How dare they attack us! And you! Idiot! Rash, stupid idiot! They had horses and you didn't even have a shield!"

"If I hadn't done as I did, how would I have protected you?" he asked.

Ruka almost found herself saying, as she normally would have, that she didn't need protection, and then abruptly swallowed the words. In the capital, she hadn't needed protection. She had been in her element there, and no crude men with cruder weapons would have harmed her. Here, however, she was not so sure. If the riders had fallen upon her, would they have slain her, or taken her captive? Either way, she did not think she could have escaped them easily, if at all. Moreover, she didn't want to be the inadvertent cause of the knight's death. Love made men even more foolish and hardheaded then they already were, and for better or worse Akatsuki loved her.

Pushing away from him, she folded her arms, glaring at him. "You needn't worry about me. In a battle, you should worry first about your own safety. You can't do anything if you're dead."

For some reason, he was smiling at her. She scowled. Was he making fun of her? She tried to smooth the glower from her lips. Noble women should never scowl. Only, here and now, her regal composure wasn't snapping into place quite so easily.

"Thank you."

She stared at him. Were all men so strange? What could he be thanking her for? Pointing out his own folly?

"Thank you for being concerned for me," he elaborated. "And..." He raised both hands to cup her face very gently. "Thank you for being the bravest and most clever women I know."

Ruka flushed. If there had been any hope to regaining herself, it was lost now. Brave? She hadn't done anything. Rather, she'd nearly passed out at the feet of the dead rider, there in all the blood! She couldn't think of anything to say, though, not even to rebuke him. Not when those gold-brown eyes were looking at her with so much warmth and admiration.

"If you hadn't screamed, I very likely _would_ be dead," he explained. "You could have run out yourself and gotten us both killed, or ran and hidden, but instead you waited and acted with resourcefulness. That moment of confusion was exactly what I needed. It shifted the balance of the fight. I might not be here if it weren't for you."

Flustered, she barely managed to say with as much haughtiness as she could muster, "Of course. I wasn't about to let you be stuck like a pig by that heathen..."

He chuckled, and it was only when he dropped one hand to tuck the loose hair that had been plastered across the side of her face from the heat behind her ear that she realized she was letting him touch her in such a way. She started to stiffen and pull away when he murmured, "I really am incredibly lucky... Not only to be engaged to one of my closest friends, but to be engaged to someone as fierce and beautiful as you..."

She wished that the touch of his palm against her cheek wasn't so comfortable. She wished even more that he would stop looking at her so intently. There was something about the intensity of his gaze that was making her stomach nervous. She didn't know how to explain it, only that the sensation was both unfamiliar and unwelcome.

Taking control of the situation, she took a step back, away from him and those burnished eyes, and put her hands on her hips. "Well, thank you, but flattering me won't fix this mess." With a toss of her head she demanded, "Who would be so bold as to attack the Sunridge Fort?"

For a moment, she thought he was almost disappointed, although she couldn't be sure. Then he shrugged. "There are a few rogue clans who never unified with the rest. They often attempt small raids, never to much success. They see it was an act of defiance." He gestured to the man lying closest to them. "The orange sash around his waist marks him as a Nekuto Clansman. They usually attempt a raid once or twice a year. The rest will already have been dealt with."

So...the people of the Dawn Plains really were like savages. She sighed, not for the first time regretting coming to this place. Nevertheless, she was relieved when Akatsuki asked her to close her eyes and led her around the corpses. Here, he really was the only gentleman to be found...

When they were free of the scene and she had opened her eyes again, he said, "We should head back. My mother will want to know that we're unharmed."

"I suppose that ride will have to wait," she agreed.

"Whenever you want, you know I'm at your disposal."

As they walked back to the fort, Ruka determinedly kept her thoughts away from the dead riders and their horse. She could not push the battle entirely from her mind, but at least she was able to shift her thoughts to the knight rather than the assailants. After watching him in battle, she decided Akatsuki was actually a bit graceful when it came to fighting. He had been rather fearsome...even handsome... The unbidden image of the knight after his bath flashed through her mind again and she inhaled sharply, feeling the heat in her face rising. No, none of that! Yet, she could not dismiss the sight so easily. The muscle that sometimes looked bulky when constrained under courtly garb was far less so out of it... Not to mention, it _was_ nice that she actually had to look up to meet his eyes... That was one of the disadvantages to being a tall woman. And to the contrary of many of the men in the capital, he made her feel small. Dainty. Ladylike.

Ruka felt an uncharacteristic scowl threaten her lips again. Must she remind herself yet again of where she was, among what kind of people? Akatsuki was one of them. Besides, she was forced into this marriage, and the redhead was hardly her type. He was no Kaname or Takuma, no elegant, princely man, no politician.

However, buried deep down where she stubbornly denied it, the truth was that lately she did feel just a little bit attracted to him...

* * *

 **AN:** You know I'm a woman when I'm over here writing about boob sweat and the drawbacks of long skirts and high heels... LOL


	96. 96 Yori

**YORI**

Yori couldn't say the words aloud. Wouldn't. Refused to admit it. However, in her heart, she knew...Yuki was dying. As a woman trained to some degree in medicine and healing, the archer could tell that the fever would take the princess' life within a matter of perhaps hours if they did not find help soon. Worse, it had begun to rain, and the chill the weather brought would seep right into the slender brunette's bones. But Yori did not speak of Yuki's nearly inevitable death, because she knew what it would do to Zero, and she hoped that he still was able to cling to the belief that she would get better on her own.

So, despite Rido's probable pursuit, despite everything, when they at last stumbled upon a small, walled town nestled into the trees atop one of the green hilltops that would eventually lead to the Indigo Mountains, they had no choice but to request aid. As they approached, the gate stayed tightly shut, and a few archers atop it immediately brought arrows to the string. These villagers were on their guard, although from what, Yori couldn't say. Bandits, maybe. At the gate, a suspicious-eyed, balding man peered at them through a narrow, rectangular opening.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" the man asked through the tiny window. The archers atop the wall remained trained on them.

"Please, our friend is injured. She needs medicine," Hanabusa murmured tiredly, eyes pinched and voice desperate.

"What happened?" the gatekeeper inquired, squinting at Yuki through the rain.

The blond knight paused, fists clenching by his sides. Yori knew he was stalling for time, undoubtedly thinking of a plausible excuse. They couldn't very easily say that they were the fugitive princess and company that had escaped Kaname, Rei, and now Rido.

"Well?" the man demanded, shifting uneasily.

Yori spoke softly, hoping to add to whatever credibility they might have, "We might as well tell the truth. What have we got to lose?"

"You're right..." Hanabusa nodded. He swallowed, gesturing towards Yuki, "This girl... My wife Yori's sister..." He glanced at the Wakaba noble by way of introduction.

"From the beginning...," Yori murmured.

"Yes. Sorry." He took a breath, and she sensed that his lie was ready. "The four of us live in a city on the coast. Rido came to visit us...it was the eve of my sister-in-law's wedding to Zero, this man." He indicated Zero. "Rido took one look at her...and..." He broke off for a moment, shaking his head. "We followed after him, to demand her back. Somehow...we managed to sneak her out of the castle, but...," he trailed off, then in a raspy whisper, "He killed my father...and my sister...too." Although the story was altered, the grief in the knight's eyes was honest. Yori hoped it would be enough to convince the people to admit them to the town.

A pause drug out through the rainy evening. Above, on the wall, Yori heard one of the men mutter, "Just like he did with Lady Lara."

Another answered, "And my cousin's daughter, last year."

The gatekeeper hesitated; then, cautiously, "Any enemy of Rido's is a friend of ours. You're welcome here..." He looked back over his shoulder and shouted, "Open the gate!" A moment later, they trudged wearily inside the fence.

Inside, as the gates swung shut behind them, the balding man shuffled out to them. "You'll be needing Doctor Asahi for her. Sai!" An archer atop the wall snapped to attention. "Take them to the inn and get the doctor."

"Thank you," she and Hanabusa murmured in unison as the archer descended the walls and ushered them towards a long wooden building off to their right.

Yori was glad that the inn was in plain sight of the front gates. Any time wasted transporting Yuki elsewhere was minutes deducted from her life. The inn itself was simple; it was evident that they didn't receive many guests. A sign painted outside the door named it _The Dancing Bear_ , although inside the one traveler she did see looked anything but jolly. Sai spoke in low tones with the innkeeper, and then rushed out, most likely to bring the doctor.

"Come with me," the innkeeper said briskly, and the group followed the portly woman up the stairs and into a small room with a single bed where Zero deposited Yuki with utmost care. In the lowlight of the candle the innkeeper lit, the girl's face was pale and drawn, as though she were already...

Yori gave herself a shake. She wouldn't linger on such thoughts. They had made it this far, after all. There was still hope for her friend, faint as it might be. Without speaking, she saw that Zero had pulled the small chair in the corner of the room over to the edge of the bed. His eyes did not leave the face of his beloved, and Yori felt her heart lurch in sympathy. If the person in that bed were Hanabusa, she knew she would feel exactly the same as Zero surely did now.

"Poor thing," the innkeeper muttered, and Yori wasn't sure if she meant Yuki or the knight. Then, "I suppose you will need rooms, too. This way."

Reluctantly, Yori and Hanabusa followed the woman out. "I'm Vera, by the way," the woman introduced herself belatedly. "How many rooms do you need? We have plenty. No one comes round here during this season."

"Two," Hanabusa replied in a strained voice. He was exhausted, as was she. "One for us and one...one for our friend."

"He can have the adjacent room, then. And you two, across the hall."

"Thank you." Yori attempted a smile. "For now, I think we'll stay with our friends."

"Supper is served in one hour. Don't miss it, because that's the last meal of the evening." With that said, the innkeeper left them. Belatedly, Yori realized she hadn't mentioned the price of the rooms or even inquired after money. She hoped it wouldn't get them into any trouble...they had precious little left between them.

Yori followed Hanabusa into their room to deposit their things. The room was modest and small, but more than adequate for the two of them. After so many nights sleeping on the ground with twigs digging into her back, the narrow, thin mattress seemed like luxury.

"Quick thinking, at the gate," she told the blond, who gave her a grim smile and a nod.

"I'm glad they let us in, and that they have a doctor..." He trailed off. "Although..."

Yori shut her eyes. "Don't say it. Let's go back to Yuki and Zero."

"Yeah," he said hoarsely. He reached over to give her hand a brief squeeze, and then the pair rejoined the silver-haired knight.

Once back in Yuki's room, the archer was relieved to see that the doctor had arrived and begun to examine Yuki's wounds. Already, he was digging through his bag, making a messy collection of ingredients and tools on the bedside table. Zero was pushed back against the wall and out of the way, though Yori could see his eyes trained on the princess. She doubted he saw anything else.

"We'll have to hurry, the infection is bad," the healer grumbled, immediately picking up several vials as he began creating a strange-smelling, reddish paste.

"We didn't have any medicine," Yori whispered, though Asahi ignored her.

Instead, he turned hawkish eyes onto the pair of them. "Alright, everyone out. I can't work with you lot breathing down my neck."

The Wakaba noble hesitated, and the healer made a shooing motion. "Out, out! You, too!" He waved Zero towards the door as well. "I need to concentrate! No bystanders! This isn't a spectacle!"

Within moments, Yori found the three of them shut out of the room. Inside, she could still hear Asahi muttering away to himself. Knowing Zero would choose to remain outside the door, she gently put her hand on his arm and suggested, "Let's eat. Then we'll come back up to check on them."

Mechanically, the knight nodded, and the three descended the steps to the common area. It was still a while until supper, but lingering outside Yuki's door wasn't going to speed her recovery. To the contrary, she had a feeling it was going to be a long night. And tomorrow...she took a small breath to anchor herself...they'd have to take tomorrow as it came. The archer fiercely hoped that her friend would pull through with all her heart.

Her eyes traced the silver-haired swordsman's pale, drawn profile and the thought resounded through her mind, _Yuki, please live._

* * *

 **AN:** Hey guys so...um...I know I said that I wasn't going to do this again but... I'm going to push the updates back to every other week again. I have a lot going on right now (nothing bad, just a lot) and I haven't had as much time to write as I would like, so I'm really falling behind on my fics. I'm really sorry to do this again, but I'd rather keep the chapters coming than go on a hiatus (which may still happen anyway for a little while if I can't find time to write) so it's better this way. So, that said, next week there will be no chapter, but rather the week after. Again, I'm really really sorry. On a more positive note, I've also got another bonus chapter in the works for the 2 year anniversary of this fic. Yay!


	97. 97 Maria

**MARIA**

Maria wanted to protect the things that she held dear. Wanted to make Ichiru proud. It seemed wrong to merely sit back quietly and watch the state of affairs unfold around her without doing anything. Comatose as he was, she couldn't speak to Ichiru anymore, but surely, if he were awake, he would tell her, "Good work for not just sitting back and watching." And then, maybe, he'd fall in love with her. Even if it was only a fantasy.

The petite girl felt her body growing numb, distant along with the miles that passed as she swept over the kingdoms, high above the earth. The body of the eagle she inhabited was warm, alive, vivid... And her own body, connected by a taint tether of magic, was cold. She had never remained outside her body for so long before. She hoped that it remained safe back in her bedroom in the castle.

She had traced the mages from Soshiyu to the Ochre Hills and towards the border of the Dawn Plains. Perhaps because of their magic, they had at first been very difficult to locate. It was almost as though they traveled surrounded by a heavy fog, preventing her from detecting them. Once she had, however, she realized they were not as far from the capital as she had originally feared. She sensed them ahead, and beat her wings a little more rapidly, riding the air currents towards them. The pair of mages were far enough away from Ashgate that the journey home would strain her, but not so far away as she'd feared they might be. The task was still daunting, however. Maria had never successfully infiltrated Ichiru's mind, after all. How was she going to possess the mind of a man who was not only a seer, but a mage, too?

There. She could feel the trace of magic that hung in the air about them. Diving closer, she saw two sleeping forms curled around each other, lost to sleep, a series of runes guarding them. For a moment, a pang resonated through her chest. Theirs was an intimacy she was unlikely to ever know... Briefly, she considered leaving them in peace. To tear lovers away from one another... She had already helped her cousin to kill the king...did she have to do this, too?

Taking a deep, mental breath, she alighted on a tree branch above them and steeled herself. After all, she doubted she had the ability to do as Shizuka requested. She had never been strong; from birth she had been a weak and fragile creature. She would fail, and then she could honestly tell her cousin that she had _tried_ , and the two mages beneath her would be undisturbed, none the wiser.

Reaching out her mind tentatively, she brushed against the consciousness of the sleeping seer. Carefully, she probed, sensing that she was causing a ripple through his dreams. His brow furrowed, but he remained asleep, and Maria slipped slowly in through the creases, like smoke, filling up all the gaps between his thoughts and memories, taking root there as if she were a weed and not a human girl. But it was not enough. If she was going to take over this man, she would have to step completely free of the eagle and dive into the mage's mind. With a deep breath, she plunged all of her consciousness into the seer's.

Fear. It dripped down the back of her neck and doused her senses in kerosene, lighting every nerve on fire. She felt the seer awaken and push back against her sharply, trying to force her out. Very nearly, he succeeded. Plunging through a dark abyss, she clung desperately to a small foothold in the corner of that mind, pulsing outwards, forcing the mage's consciousness down. The fear sent her spiraling into panic. If she lost her grip, if she lost this battle, what would happen?

She felt her own body thrash and twitch, far away, heard someone cry, "My Lady Maria!" but the sound was at the volume of a whisper.

All the roots she had planted through his mind grew taut, threatened to snap, and she clung to him like a leech, determined not to let go unless it became her only recourse. _Stop,_ she begged him mentally, because she wasn't sure she had the strength to go back to the bird now even if she wanted to. Desperately, she attempted to mute the seer's consciousness, silencing him, assuring him it was only for a little while, and for now he could go back to sleep. And gradually, she felt his struggles abate, his mind receding back from hers. Slowly, she felt the tingle of limbs, of a racing heartbeat, of adrenaline spiking through her veins.

Opening her eyes, the branches overhead spun dizzily. Maria blinked slowly, felt strange. The hand that moved in front of her eyes, clenching and unclenching, was not her own. Very distantly, vaguely, she felt the sleeping presence of that other mind, the original one which she had overtaken to stand here in this body. Who was she? What an odd question, now. She was a floating consciousness in an unfamiliar body. It was not even the body of another small girl like herself, but the body of a man. A man with magic... She could feel it coursing through her veins, a kind of soft buzzing that she wondered if she could make use of even if this form was not her own.

She forced herself to sit up, stricken abruptly by the _difference_ of this body. It was stronger, far stronger than her own. Larger, taller, leaner, completely alien. She sucked in a breath, frightened, eyes finding the exhausted form of the bird overhead, which was paralyzed against an overhead branch. Lurching to her feet, she nearly fell back down again. She was entirely spent. This body was not hers, and despite the fact that she seemed to have momentarily won the battle against its owner, she was unsure how long she could hold onto it. She was far from the capital. Could she really expect to bring the seer all the way back to her cousin?

Turning her head, frigid, electric blue eyes bored into not-her-own-eyes as a dangerous whisper murmured, "Who are you?"

"I..." Her voice froze momentarily in her throat. How...different. It was deeper, softer, than her own. She rather liked the sound. "I have need of this body."

"I won't ask you nicely a second time," the druid warned, gaze flashing like lightning. Angry, she was angry. Maria understood. Of course this woman...the unconscious mind supplied a name for her...of course Rima was angry. An unknown person had possessed her lover's body. But Maria's future was at stake, and she was determined to bring this man back to the capital. She could not fail.

"I am a servant of the realm," she answered, without giving her name. It was true. She served Shizuka, and therefore the Nine Kingdoms by extent. "And I must have this body for a while, for the good of the kingdoms. To learn the future. Once I've seen it, I'll return this man to you."

The druid's eyebrows drew together a touch more, revealing the turbulence of her rage as she said in a clipped tone, "You're from the capital, aren't you? Whoever you are, you should know that the consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business. The images don't make sense, and they can't be forced. You could be waiting decades for the next glimpse, and I won't allow you to keep Senri for even a moment longer."

"I'll return him to you soon enough," she attempted to persuade the druid. She wasn't sure she had the strength to fight, and she did not want to kill the woman. Somehow, she suspected that this body had that power... She could hear Rima's blood whispering, and the thought came to her, how easy it would be to dispose of the blond mage... This body possessed such power...

"Soon enough is not _now_ , and you will return him _now._ I'll grant you this last opportunity to leave peacefully."

Maria swallowed. Would she have to kill this man's lover with his body just to achieve her purpose? The thought tasted like bile. But she couldn't relinquish him. Now that she was here, inhabiting this form, she wasn't sure that she could leave again for a while. She needed to recover from the transition. There was no other option.

"I'm sorry. You are welcome to accompany him, if you wish," Maria offered.

Electricity sparked from the druid's fingertips. "So be it. I won't allow you to take one step away from this place. Prepare yourself."

* * *

 **AN:** Well, this can't be good...


	98. 98 Yuki

**YUKI**

 _'I am...'_

 _She was floating through tranquil darkness. Like sleep. Like a dream. Like death..._

 _In the darkness, she could almost make out the faint smile of a beautiful young woman with dark hair and eyes, not unlike herself. Those eyes were kind, warm...precious... 'Who are you?' she wondered, but the wondering faded away into nothing._

 _'I miss you,' she thought, but she wasn't sure who she was thinking such a thing to._

 _She remembered her adopted father, smiling at her from across the courtyard as she jumped between mud puddles. Perhaps he shouldn't have allowed such a thing... The servants were scolding her in the background, while she disregarded them. She was transfixed by the splashing...and by Kaien's familiar expression._

 _She remembered long walks with Yori through the woods. "This is honeysuckle," the small auburn-haired girl told her. "You can eat it." It tasted like childhood. Like naivety. Like memories. Like her mother's lost laughter, laughter she would never remember but always long for._

 _She remembered when Hanabusa officially came to live with her in the capital. "This is Lord Hanabusa Aidou. He will be your sworn knight and Bloodguard," Kaien told her. She was familiar with the boy. The round-cheeked, golden-haired noble had been to the capital several times before. Once she had beaten him in a mock-battle with sticks. She hoped he would become a friend. She needed friends; she had so few of them. Yori lived far away and Ruka was hardly a decent playmate...trying on a thousand new dresses and riding until her legs went numb were not the princess' favorite pastimes._

 _She remembered when Zero had come, as well... "This is Zero Kiryuu, a fighter from the pits. He will be your second sworn knight and Bloodguard." His violet eyes had paralyzed her, his scowl had chilled her, and yet...despite his frightening appearance, despite the criss-crossing of fine red lines over his knuckles from a recent fight and the gaunt hollowness of his cheeks from a lack of proper nutrition...despite those things, she thought that perhaps they weren't so dissimilar after all. Somehow, his aura screamed at her to run away, but her instincts told her to move closer... That boy, they told her, desperately needed someone... Later, she wanted nothing more than to be that someone, even if such a thing were forbidden._

 _Zero... If only she could persuade him to be a little more open with her, to say all that he felt... She wanted to tell him, 'Let's talk properly, Zero... I can sense it. You always have something you want to say to me...trapped behind your lips...'_

 _She could feel her strength sapping away into the abyss. Her thoughts and feelings were growing weak, disjointed. They were unraveling. She found it more and more difficult to remember anything at all. A sadness choked her, deep in her chest, and yet, incorporeal, she was unable to cry. It was a nightmarish kind of grief and futility._

 _And her memories were fractured. She could catch only glimpses that slipped oily through her fingers._

 _Her adopted father tucking her in for the night, despite his duties. He'd kept the council waiting that day, and she had treasured the feeling of his hand stroking her hair back from her brow so that he might give her a goodnight kiss._

 _Yori taking her to her secret tree house, where she liked to escape. The two of them spent hours there, to the distress of their guards, away from the stress of courtly life. She supposed they could never return there. Nor to the summer house._

 _The father-daughter ritual: tea with Kaien, who would always serve mint and herbal teas together to accommodate both of their tastes._

 _Zero and her, reading together on his bed in the barracks._

 _Zero... Once more, she felt something akin to pain. Her knight...her love...he was too beautiful for words. Too kind. Too loyal. Too_ good _. She did not deserve such goodness. The few kisses and short-lived embraces they had shared were not nearly enough. She wanted to know more of him, all of him. Alone in the dark and floating through a void, she wished that she could have held him just once. Because...this blackness... She was dying, wasn't she?_

 _She had always been content just being near him. It was an innocent love, a pure love. She didn't ask for anything more. Not until now, when it was too late. She would have been happy like that, simply to stand beside him for the rest of their days... But those days would never come, now..._

 _He would not hear her, not here in the dark at the edge of death, yet nevertheless she whispered through numb lips, 'Live for a long time, Zero. I want to say this...although I'm worried it will become a curse for you... Don't miss me too much...because I'm happier like this, dying before you. I was always frightened I'd live to see the day that your life ended.'_

 _Truly, she only wished to cry. To mourn how she'd never again look into those violet eyes or see the smile that rarely touched his lips. He was the only one she had ever loved, or ever would..._

 _There was no answer to her thoughts. Just echoes in the dark. And as they rippled out, she thought she could almost sense her body, could almost feel the movement of air against her skin. Could almost..._

Light. It was hazy, a gradient of black and grey that confused her. Gradually, colors and shapes came into focus, and the first and only thing she was able to focus on was the face before her.

"Ze...ro...?" The word came with difficulty through dry, cracked lips.

"Yuki," the silver-haired knight breathed. His own lips trembled, and for the first time she had ever seen, she thought he was on the verge of tears. "Yuki," he repeated, and then his arms were around her, very gently, as though she were a porcelain doll. His body shook against hers, and she wondered dizzily, foggily, if he was crying. But Zero did not cry. Zero never cried.

It was enough to simply breathe in his scent. She had difficulty moving. Her limbs felt heavy and weak, as though they were not her own. There was a discomfort against her stomach, and she noticed that Zero had angled himself very cautiously away from that place. Yet, she could not think of a reason why. She only knew somehow that she should be dead.

In a haze, she clung to the words lost to the void. If she did die, now was her chance to say them. "Live for a long time, Zero," she murmured, her voice a thread.

The knight pulled himself up now, and she realized he was sitting in a chair beside the bed she lay in. Tenderly, his hands stroked her cheeks and hair, and she thought perhaps his eyelashes were damp. But Zero...he didn't cry...she was sure of it.

He exhaled and whispered, "If that is your wish...if it's for me to grant...then I will. I will live as long as I can. I want you to tell me when we're old that you were happy. And in my last moments, I want to be with you."

She smiled. Yes, she wanted that, too. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and she did not want to die. Yet, her body was so distant and strange that she did not think it would be long before she returned to the black.

"I'll be right back. I have to tell the doctor that you're awake." With a last brush of his thumb over her cheek, he stood and went through a door she hadn't noticed before. A few moments later, he was back with a short man with a pinched face and a scraggly, graying mustache.

"I don't believe it," the doctor muttered. "You're lucky to be alive."

Briskly, the man helped her to drink some bitter tasting liquid that helped ease her parched, sore throat. Her voice a little stronger, she managed to say, "I can't feel my arms...or legs..."

"Yes, yes, all as it should be," the man said sharply, glancing at her in annoyance. "I did give you painkillers and a tranquilizer, of course you can't feel anything."

"Your wound got infected, Yuki," Zero explained in a subdued voice.

The doctor was lifting the hem of her shirt up now, and she saw that her stomach was tightly bandaged. She swallowed, wincing slightly at the rawness in her throat. That was right...through the cloudiness of her mind she saw her uncle and his Bloodguard...and felt the sting of metal slashing through her once again. How long ago had that been? Judging from the dark purple bruises under her knight's eyes, it had been more than just a day or two.

"How long?" she asked as the dour little man unwrapped the bandages.

"Since you were injured, nine days," the Bloodguard told her, and she frowned. Nine days? It was not as long as she'd feared, but still far longer than she'd hoped.

"Five damn days, it's been, since your sickeningly devoted fiancé dragged you in here. I haven't been able to get a moment's peace since then," the doctor was mumbling under his breath. "'Doctor, please.' 'Doctor, she wasn't breathing for a minute.' As though I have nothing better to do than tend some skinny little girl. I deserve a lordship for this, I do. I never healed anyone so thoroughly in my life. Damn young love. Bah. What crap."

Yuki smiled feebly. It must have been serious then, if Zero had been so worried...and if she'd even ceased breathing for however brief an interval... Her eyes met her knight's strained ones from across the room and despite her condition, she felt her heart swell in her chest. Just as she thought, she didn't deserve this man...

By this time the bandages were unraveled and she could see an ugly, puckered wound against her once smooth, unblemished skin. It looked almost as though the skin had been seared in a fire. Although it wasn't particularly long, it was deep, and would most assuredly leave a scar after it was healed. The doctor had stitched it together, although it still wept fluid. The bandage was stained a revolting off-white color. Quickly but efficiently, the doctor cleaned the injury, reapplied some kind of paste, and then wrapped it with a fresh bandage. Once he'd finished, he did the same with a less ugly wound on her right arm.

"That'll do for now. I'll have them send some soup." The man nodded and then hustled out of the room before either of them could impede him with any questions.

The room was quiet for a minute after the doctor left. The tautness in her stomach was discomforting; even breathing caused her a sensation that she recognized would have been pain without the medication. Zero moved to sit beside her again, taking her small hand in his much larger one, and despite the circumstances she relaxed.

Yet, at the same time she remembered her appalling performance back at Seagate. She hadn't been able to hold off her uncle or Shou. If they had wanted to kill her, she would be dead now. All the training, all the time the silver-haired knight had dedicated to her, all of it had gone to waste. She was still just as clumsy and inadequate as she'd been when he'd first started teaching her.

"I'm sorry...because of me..." She took a slow, steady breath. "I was a burden."

Zero's grip tightened slightly and he shook his head. "You have never been a burden. From such brief training, you were able to hold you own until I reached you. I'm proud of you, Yuki. And...the fault is mine. I should have never left you alone. I should have been there, to prevent this." His eyes fell now, darkening, closing off from her.

"No," she protested, "It's not your fault."

"I never want to come so close to losing you ever again," he whispered, and she longed to reach out to him. Her arms still felt like logs, tied to her sides. Perhaps he sensed her feelings, because his fingers threaded through hers then.

"I'm still not strong enough, Zero... I have to be much stronger...for what's to come."

"I won't leave your side again," he vowed.

"Though I've never been a very good student, I need to learn more. Not just from you, but from Hanabusa and Yori, too. "

The knight took a deep breath and then nodded slowly. "When you're well again."

A knock on the door announced the arrival of her soup. Before the serving girl could shoo Zero off to the side, Yuki murmured, "I love you."

Hearing those words, some of the tension melted from Zero's frame. "And I you," he answered as the serving girl dislodged him from the chair so that she might feed the wounded girl.

After the soup, Yuki almost immediately fell asleep. This time, however, her dreams were dreams and not the void of black she had been trapped in before.

* * *

 **AN:** I'm sorry, I didn't kill her. It was tempting though, I promise. Haha. Anyway, can you believe this fic has been going for 2 years?! It's hard to believe...especially for a slow and lazy writer like me. So, in celebration, the next installment will be another extra chapter, something about the history of the Kurans and Kiryuus, I think... Hmm... -runs off to get started-


	99. Special Chapter: The Fall

**AN:** To celebrate 2 years of this fic, I present you a third bonus chapter! This one deals with the history of the Kiryuus and the Kurans, and again we have Kaien narrating from the past (he hasn't come back to life). Only one small note: I gave some of the characters the same name as others. For example, Shizuka and Akatsuki. These are only shared names, not the same character somehow traveling through time. I just thought it would be more realistic if some of the names repeated. It's a bloody chapter, but enjoy anyway?

* * *

Kaien wandered among the shelves of the restricted section of the royal library, a place that only he had access to. Here were housed the surviving texts on ancient history and magic that the Kuran family had burned decades ago. Kaien had made a point of collecting remaining copies and having them replicated in secret. Perhaps he defied his own name, but he did not wish for the history of the Nine Kingdoms to be so easily forgotten or altered.

At last, he pulled a single volume from the shelves. Its worn, red leather cover and yellowed pages indicated its age. It was a historical account of the final battle of the war between the Kiryuus and the Kurans, the one that ended with Queen Kurenai Kuran winning the throne. Kaien was very familiar with the tale, although most of the kingdoms remained blissfully ignorant to the Kiryuu family history.

Seating himself at the yew table in the center of the room, Kaien flipped through the pages and began to read. The text was impersonal and precise, detailing every bit of information that the historian had been able to gather, from the numbers of troops to the alliances of each noble family. The account was especially informative, but Kaien wondered...what exactly had happened in the throne room on the day of the Kuran victory, particularly after the author had fled..?

 _The heavy metal doors of the throne room creaked open as a small boy with platinum blond hair rushed in panting, red-faced, and sweating. "My Lord! My Lady!" he cried, gasping for air around the strained shouts._

 _"Ah, young Touma...my how you've grown..." The figure seated on the throne, the king Hideki Kiryuu, was a man of no more than forty-some odd years, and yet his eyes were rheumatic white, searching the chamber as though blind. His skin, which should still have been pale and smooth, was wrinkled and spotted, as though he were already an old man. Frail fingers grasped at the hand of the young lady seated beside him, his daughter Shizuka, a maid of no more than 14 or 15 years._

 _"Your Highness, they've broken through the castle gates!" Izumi Touma, the king's young ward, cried, eyes wide with fear._

 _"Ah..." The king seemed to barely register this news. His head nodded forward, as though the weight of the crown was too much for him to bear._

 _"Father, please! We must do something!" Shizuka pleaded, clutching tightly to the man's hand._

 _Yoni Wakaba, the king's Bloodguard, stepped forward. His tone was grave as he spoke, "My Lord, we must rally our bannermen and defend the castle. In the meantime, you must escape."_

 _"I will not leave my home," the king said merely in a slow drawl. His eyes gazed around the room emptily, as though they saw nothing._

 _"Father, I beg you! If we do nothing, they'll kill us all!" Shizuka tried again, desperately._

 _"I warned you that they were coming," a low, female voice said. In the corner, the court's seer, Minami Shiki, spoke from under her deep purple cowl, blue eyes seeming to faintly glow from within the cloth depths. "I warned you that royal blood would be spilt. And yet you do nothing."_

 _"Silence, woman! You do not address the king in so informal a manner!" The Wakaba knight glared across the room in response to the unwelcome words._

 _"Your Majesty, my king," another voice, this one sultry and lilting, cut through the silence that followed the knight's outburst. "There is still time. There is still a way to end this." A tall woman with lush ringlets of thick golden hair stepped towards the dais, full lips tilting up into an almost seductive smile. "I trust you recall the plan I shared with you only last night?" The glint in her pale blue eyes betrayed the intimate manner in which this plan had been shared._

 _"Narsha Shirabuki, your...suggestions...are not welcome here," Yoni hissed. "Blood magic is not the answer to our plight."_

 _The golden-haired mage appeared offended. "You may address me as 'my Lady.' My name is a noble one now, if you recall?"_

 _"I do," the reply was stiff, forced from reluctant lips. "Forgive me...my Lady...but surely we can defend the keep long enough for the king to escape."_

 _"Yes..." Hideki finally spoke. "Yes...the plan. Bring in the boy... His blood will drive these intruders away."_

 _Shizuka and the knight paled as the mage brightened with apparent pleasure. Narsha sank into a deep curtsey. "At once, your Majesty." She turned, clapping her hands sharply at a pair of servants standing nearby. "Prepare the pyre. And bring the boy."_

 _"Father, please, listen to reason!" Shizuka tried once more, eyes brimming with unshed tears._

 _"There is no reasoning with him, my Lady," Yoni murmured in a defeated whisper. Then, straightening, he shouted, "Men, to me! We defend this room to the last man!"_

 _Immediately, the guards joined the knight, following him to guard the doors of the throne room. Behind them, the servants began hastily building a pyre of wood, hay, and kerosene while the princess sobbed helplessly, determined to remain by her father's side. In the midst of chaos, a single servant, Uyeda Takamiya by name, slipped away, intent on finding the queen and the youngest of the king's children. Uyeda had been fiercely loyal to the lad since his birth; the prince was sweet and cheerful despite his father's ailing health and the civil war that ravaged the kingdoms. If no one else escaped, at least the prince should, as well as his mother if at all possible._

 _The halls were a flurry of activity. Guardsmen rushed by to join the fray in the front rooms of the castle, although here and there the colors of the Kuran men revealed that some of their troops had already broken through the Kiryuu defenses. Uyeda was a short, slim man with relatively plain, flat features, and as such he did not readily stand out, making it easy for him to dart unnoticed through the corridors and reach the royal rooms where he was sure the queen and her son were hiding._

 _When Uyeda reached the outer doors, however, he saw the bloodied forms of the guards beside the already opened threshold. In a rush of sudden panic he sped inside, where more guards lie dead around the doors to the inner sanctum. Heart pounding in his chest, the servant quickly entered the bedchamber, uncertain of what he might find there. And there...in the center of the room, lying still in their own blood, were Queen Chidori and Prince Renji..._

 _"No..." he gasped, stricken. The lad's once-bright lavender eyes stared back at him hollowly from the shadows of death. "No," he repeated, brokenly, even as he knew the boy was dead and long past aid. Even blood magic or necromancy could not restore Renji to his former life now._

 _Silent tears poured down the man's face. To think that Kuran men had made it this far, and that they had murdered a boy of ten in cold blood! His shoulders trembled. He bore little love for King Hideki, but this...this was monstrous. No one should do this to a child... For a frantic moment, he thought of his own nieces and nephews in the city and prayed that they were safe._

 _A moment later, and his thoughts snapped to the princess. Shizuka was still in the midst of danger. If Renji was past saving, then she had to be persuaded to leave her father behind and escape herself. She could very well be the last of the royal line by now; her elder brother Tsuna had been charged with the city's defense, and none had heard word of the militia for a while. After all, it had been the young Lord Touma who had brought word of the doors, not a soldier..._

 _Turning around, a sudden movement caused Uyeda to freeze in horror. Had he been caught? Were the Kuran men waiting for someone to discover the royal bodies, waiting for the appropriate moment to strike? Through a curtain of fear, the man caught the colors of the armored figure before him: amber and periwinkle, the colors of the Souen banner. His vision cleared as his nerves eased; this was one of their own, Ame Souen, the first and only female knight in history. Ame presented a formidable figure, broad-shouldered and muscled as a man; her long honey-colored hair bound tightly back in a bun that sharpened the lines of her face in an unflattering manner. She, like him, was paralyzed at the sight of the bodies, her usually stony countenance transformed by grief._

 _"My Lady," Uyeda whispered. "It's too late, I fear... They're..." He swallowed heavily. He couldn't say the word._

 _"Yes, I know it," she returned sharply, cutting him off abruptly. "I swear I shall have vengeance for this atrocity..." Her fingers reached up to brush the hilt of the broadsword strapped to her back._

 _"The princess..."_

 _"Where is she? Is she safe?" the knight demanded immediately._

 _"She's in the throne room. She...refuses to leave."_

 _"Then she must be persuaded, while there's still time."_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Come, quickly. You will guide her out through the secret passages and to safety." Ame turned on her heel and briskly retraced the steps the servant had taken only moments before, clearly expecting Uyeda to follow although she didn't turn her head to look back even once. As she walked, her hands unstrapped the heavy sword from her back, in preparation for any foes that they might meet along the way._

 _"What about you, My Lady?" Uyeda asked breathlessly, nearly at a run to keep up with the long-legged knight. "Will you not come with us?"_

 _"I will do my duty to defend this castle until my last breath," Ame stated, voice emotionless and terse._

 _Uyeda was silent. Remaining here was a death sentence. Still, he had been in the castle long enough to understand that knights, bound as they were by duty and honor, could not be convinced to break their vows even if it meant saving their lives. At least, he was grateful that he was being given an opportunity to not only live, but to take some part of this. Saving Princess Shizuka was no small task._

 _When the pair arrived back in the throne room, they saw that a small child, the king's ward Kaneki Hio, was being tied to the pyre. A servant bearing a torch stood at the ready beside Narsha. The boy was crying and screaming, and by the look of it Shizuka was doing her best to convince her father not to pursue this dark plan. Uyeda's stomach recoiled with dread and he sickened at the thought of what the Shirabuki mage intended for the boy._

 _"What is the meaning of this?" Ame demanded._

 _"Ah, My Lady, you're just in time," Narsha greeted them, smiling. "I am about to vanquish our foes with a single spell."_

 _"You cannot mean to sacrifice this boy!" the Souen knight exclaimed._

 _"His blood will pave the way. With it, my powers will be multiplied. The Hios are cousins of the Kiryuus after all, of royal blood! Imagine what strength I will gain...enough to end this battle."_

 _"I won't allow it," Ame growled._

 _"Silence," the king spoke suddenly. "Do it. Now."_

 _Against the protestations of the knight, princess, and many others, the torch was held against the pyre until it caught fire and began to burn. The struggling child continued to beg for his life, shouting, "Uncle, please! Please!" As the flames began to grow in strength, his words gradually turned into animal screams of agony. Smoke filled the room and Uyeda coughed around it, feeling as though he might vomit or faint on the spot. He could no longer make out the throne beyond the blazing pyre or the smoke, but he heard the words Narsha was chanting. Somehow, the sound of them chilled him to his bone._

 _"This is...vile...without honor..." Ame whispered beside him._

 _Yoni Wakaba, armed with the glaive he always carried, approached them and warned in a low voice, "The king is entirely mad now. He refuses to lead the troops or leave, and Prince Tsuna is assuredly dead by now. I will lead the guard in the defense of this room. Ame, I need you with me."_

 _The knight nodded, still stunned by what she had witnessed, and at last turned to Uyeda, "Go, take the princess and go. That is all the hope that we have left now."_

 _The servant ran to the dais, shielding his nose from the smoke. Fortunately, the room was well ventilated and the smoke was gradually drifting out the door rather than remaining in the chamber, but nevertheless his breaths felt heavy and unpleasant. The princess had not moved an inch from her position beside her father. Uyeda knelt beside her and touched her arm, a breach of court etiquette, but he had to reach her and time was running out. Nothing mattered anymore except her life._

 _"My Lady, we must leave," he bade._

 _"I won't," she whispered, shrugging him off._

 _"Princess. You must escape. You...are the last of your line..." Ah...it was painful, to remember Renji's tiny body bloody on the floor... He thought of his family. He and his wife had never had any children, but he had known Shizuka since she was young, and he was quite fond of her, even if he had always preferred her younger brother. The princess was kind and sweet and deserved to survive this._

 _"I cannot." She shook her head. "Leave me."_

 _Had the princess lost her senses as well? He glanced around the room. At the smoldering pyre. At the guards assembling to defend the door. At the king barely conscious on the throne. What reason was there to stay? They were all going to die here if they did not leave right now. Did Shizuka truly wish to die here beside her father? The guards were going to barricade the door shut in a matter of minutes. By that time, there would be no means of escape, at least none that he was aware of._

 _Most of the courtesans and servants were choosing to remain in the throne room for the attack. It was the best defended room in the castle, and many of their friends and family had already perished in the fighting. Before the doors were barred shut, however, a lone young man, lean and gaunt, dressed in simple brown linens, stood and quietly exited. No one stopped him._

 _This was Subaki Touga, a scholar who had come to the royal library to study. Some spark of intuition told him that the throne room would became a tomb, and he quickly abandoned his spot in the back of the room before the option was made unavailable to him. There was a way out of the castle, one he'd read about in one of the books in the library. Near the dungeon, there was a secret passage that led out past the castle walls and into the city. He would hide in the tunnel until the fighting died down, and escape the city the moment he had the chance. Besides, cowardly though it might be to run, someone had to live to document what happened today..._

 _After Subaki left, the doors were barricaded shut, and it was not long after that the Kurans reached the door. Shouts could be heard on the other side, and then the door began shaking as the enemy began attempting to force it open. The doors of the throne room were sturdy and had stood for many years. Yet...against the might of the Kuran army, they would not hold forever._

 _The doors rattled again and again, heavier each time, reverberating through the room like the harbinger of doom or a drumming funeral dirge accompanied by the muffled pleas of the princess. A creaking, and the doors shuddered, a crack of light spilling through their center. Trapped, the servants and nobility who remained were huddled in the back of the room, some armed with knives the guards had given them. The remaining members of the guard, led by Yoni Wakaba and Ame Souen, waited behind the doors for the inevitable moment when they would break._

 _"The sacrifice will protect us!" Narsha exclaimed, even as the doors began to strain beyond their limits._

 _A moment later, and the doors suddenly burst open, a wall of crimson-and-black garbed knights breaking through with an elated cheer as they engaged the Kiryuu forces. The distinct forms of the broadsword and glaive marked the two knights at the crux of the defense, attempting to the best of their abilities to keep the Kuran troops bottled in the door where they could be more easily defeated. Nevertheless, it was impossible to stop the archers behind the Kuran forces. A loose arrow found its mark in the crowd of servants and nobles, and a shrill cry marked the first death of the skirmish._

 _"My Lady, please, at least hide behind the throne! There, no arrow can harm you," Uyeda tugged at the princess' arm, eyes flicking nervously back and forth from the battle to Shizuka's face._

 _"I told you," the girl murmured in a strained voice. "I told you I won't leave him. I fear...I am the only person holding him back from the brink of madness. I won't abandon him to die like that."_

 _Gradually, the Kiryuu guard was being pushed back. More than one arrow thinned the crowd in the back of the room. Against the wall, the Shiki seer was slumped, pinned there by a single arrow through her gut that pooled crimson blood across the floor. In the far corner, the Shirabuki mage finally stopped waiting for some miracle bought by Kaneki Hio's blood and began attacking the Kuran troops in her own manner. She gestured with one hand and a sudden burst of blood from beneath chainmail instantly dropped one of the attackers. He lie still, trampled by his allies as they tried to force entry into the throne room._

 _The king seemed blissfully unaware of the massacre taking place. "Do we have visitors?" he asked his daughter, who began weeping at the question. Across the room, the Kurans had at last broken through the guard and flooded the room. Several Kuran soldiers made for the crowd of innocents, cutting them down without mercy or hesitation. Narsha did her best to keep them at bay; many exploded or choked on their own blood before a lone soldier crept up behind her, running his blade cleanly through her chest. The blond mage sputtered out her final breath, crumpling in a tiny heap on the floor._

 _"This-this can't be!" Uyeda stammered, stricken by the bloodshed. He turned about wildly, seeing that nearly every one of the guard, courtiers, and servants had already fallen. His own end was met swiftly by an axe that crushed down through his shoulder until it lodged, stuck, in his ribcage. His body lay at the princess' feet, bleeding down the dais and onto the floor._

 _"I command you to put down your arms," an authoritative voice rang through the chamber; one of the Kuran men stopped the swing that would have slain the Wakaba knight, who knelt panting on the floor, clutching his bleeding arm. Amidst the carnage strode a young, beautiful woman, radiant in crimson armor. On her right arm was a shield bearing the Kuran house sigil, and in her left hand she grasped a silver lance. Beside her stood her Bloodguard, one clad in the Aidou house colors, the other in the red and orange of the Kains. She handed her lance to the knight on her left, Akatsuki Aidou, and removed her helmet, causing her silken black hair to spill across her shoulders. Mismatched eyes gazed steadily across the chamber, gauging the two remaining members of the royal family._

 _"Kurenai Kuran...," Ame hissed from where three Kuran men had her surrounded._

 _"Seize their weapons," Kurenai commanded, and the two knights, along with a single surviving member of the Kiryuu militia, were brought before her, stripped of their weapons and shoved to their knees._

 _Kurenai gave them a tight smile. "You have fought well. I trust one day your families will see reason and serve mine rather than continue to fight for a mad king. Surely you can see that he is no longer fit to rule?" Her eerie eyes flicked back to the king, "How far you have fallen, Hideki. Look at your daughter. Can't you see the pain you've caused her?"_

 _"Oh...my...Lady Kurenai...how do you fare these days?" the king inquired, blinking as though through a thick fog._

 _The Kuran queen shook her head. "How tragic. Your cursed magic has warped your mind... Never fear, I shall put you out of your misery. I brought with me my own executioner, my Bloodguard Arata Kain." She gestured, and the redheaded knight drew his sword and stepped towards the dais._

 _"Please, don't kill my father! Take his crown if you must, but don't kill him! Can't you see he can't harm you? Please, have mercy, Sir!" Princess Shizuka covered her father's body, arms around the ailing man's neck, face still wet with tears._

 _"I'm afraid Arata cannot answer you, my dear. I cut out his tongue as a punishment years ago. He will follow the order I gave him," Kurenai replied. "Akatsuki, please remove her."_

 _The Aidou knight moved now, passing the queen's lance to another knight and dragging the princess' away from her father. She fought against him, sobbing bitterly, but the young girl was no match for the powerful knight. She was brought beside the Kuran queen, who nodded to Arata. The Kain knight raised his blade, and with a single sweep of steel, cleanly removed Hideki's head. Shizuka screamed, and then fell silent, limp in the knight's restraining arms._

 _"Don't be sad, child, he was long lost to you anyway. What I did was an act of mercy," Kurenai said. "You're certainly brave, I'll give you that. And pretty, too..." The queen faced the Kiryuu girl now, handing off her helmet in order to stroke the girl's tear-stained cheek. "What a pity..." In a flash, a welling of blood created a single line across the princess' throat, and in the next moment she was twitching and coughing the remnants of her life out onto the floor. The Aidou knight dropped her dying body as Kurenai passed him back the knife he previously had belted at his waist._

 _"No!" the Kiryuu soldier cried. A blade swiftly ended his protest._

 _"Well, that settles that," Kurenai announced in satisfaction._

 _Another person entered the room, this one dressed in robes of yellow and grey, the colors of the Ichijou house. This was the queen's foremost advisor, Asato Ichijou, newly named warden and lord of the Stormy Isles. He bowed and swiftly took in the result of the battle, stating finally, "Then, the royal family is dead?"_

 _"Yes," the queen replied simply._

 _"We should send a message to the Amaranthine Peaks. The Hios must bend the knee."_

 _"Yes...I require a messenger. One I know will reach an audience with Lord Ryuuichi Hio...alive." Her gaze swept over the two remaining knights. "I suppose you will be of use to me after all. You will travel to Sakura Hall and inform Lord Ryuuichi that he has two options: bend the knee willingly, or his corpse will bend it in death."_

 _The two knights were prodded to their feet. Kurenai nodded. "I'll even permit you to keep your armor. After all, you must be readily familiar to the Hios... As for your weapons, however, those will remain with me. Ah and...one more thing..." She leaned over and whispered, loud enough for those nearest to her to still hear, into Asato's ear, "My Lord, how many men does it take to deliver a message?"_

 _The Ichijou Lord raised an eyebrow. "Just one, My Lady."_

 _"Yes, that is so. Just one. Kill the man," she ordered, and immediately a sword was shoved through Yoni Wakaba's throat. Ame Souen looked on in horror, hands clutched tightly into fists to restrain the onslaught of emotion she felt after seeing every familiar face, every last person in the room killed apart from herself._

 _"I find I have always been your admirer, Lady Souen," Kurenai admitted. "A knight after my own heart. You are truly a legend, the first of your kind. A Lady and a knight...truly impressive. I am rather loathe to kill you, it would seem. I must admit that I am pleased you survived. Deliver your message. I hope we do not cross paths again, but know that if we do, I will be forced to kill you. Akatsuki, take some men and see her to the stables. Give her a horse and some supplies."_

 _"Yes, my Lady." The Aidou knight bowed and gestured to a few of the guards, who fell into formation around Ame. The Souen guard mutely followed as she was led from the throne room._

 _"Now then, men. Hunt down the rest of the Kiryuus. Every last one, man, woman, and child. I want no more of this cursed blood tainting the kingdoms." The mandate rung clearly through the room. As the majority of the guard dispersed, Kurenai retrieved the crown from the severed head of the king. His body quickly removed, Kurenai took his place on the throne, a scarlet figure shining amidst a smoky, dark crimson room littered with corpses._

Kaien closed the book and traced the name of the historian who had written it. Subaki Touga. The only survivor of that bloody fight, aside from Ame Souen, whose life had been ended shortly thereafter in her honor-bound quest for revenge... Touga. It had been a while since the king had shared the company of one with that name, and yet...he smiled. His memories of that person remained fond, despite the abrupt manner of their separation. He couldn't help but wonder, where was his old friend now?

"I'm growing far too sentimental..." Kaien murmured to the book. Why had he come here to read this, anyway? Because Subaki was his friend's ancestor? Had he just wanted to feel some remote connection to that name again? He shook his head. Yagari would not return to the castle, of that he was certain. Nevertheless, thoughts of the old captain of the guard brought back a familiar pain in his heart.

With a sigh, he replaced the book on the shelf and whispered, "I do miss you, my dear friend..."

Rejoining the guards that he'd left at the door, Kaien thought to summon Yuki for tea and inform her that her cousin Kaname would soon be joining them at the castle. The king doubted this sudden visit lacked a purpose; after all, it had been noted by several lords that Yuki had already reached a marriageable age and had yet to be betrothed. However...Kaien did not wish to give his precious daughter away, even though he would not be able to postpone such a thing for much longer. Yuki was the only person who could help him forget all those dear to him who were gone in one form or another: his mother, Haruka, Juri, and Yagari, among others...

Time passed so quickly. Just yesterday, it seemed as though he had met Juri for the first time. And soon, he would have to arrange a marriage for her daughter. For the old book on the shelf, he wondered if perhaps it was the same. Perhaps it felt as though just yesterday it had been penned in the wake of a terrible civil war, and today it was being read by the first Kiryuu to sit the throne in over a hundred years... He chuckled to himself. If nothing else, he enjoyed his own little secret. Everyone knew he was a bastard son, but that his mother was a Kiryuu? Few were privy to such knowledge. History would likely not remember him as anything other than Kaien Kuran, but, well...

The king returned to his chambers for dinner, laughing.

* * *

 **AN:** As one final note, I would like to say that since this is a good stopping point, I will be taking a short hiatus from this fic. Don't worry, I do have some chapters mostly written, but I haven't had as much time to write as I thought and I'd like to be able to work on them without pressure. Plus, I want to finish up my Aidori story! So, as I said, I'll be taking a short hiatus (I'm thinking a month or maybe two if I need it? No more than that). Be on the lookout for the next update, I won't keep you guys waiting too long!


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